TY - JOUR
T1 - Characterization in end-of-life care of older people attended by geriatricians
AU - Morros-González, Elly
AU - Ayala Copete, Ana María
AU - Beltrán Barriga, Daniela Sofía
AU - Cano-Gutierrez, Carlos
AU - Chavarro-Carvajal, Diego Andrés
AU - Caicedo Correa, Sandra Milena
N1 - Copyright © 2023 SEGG. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Symptom control at the end of life is essential, and palliative sedation is a viable intervention option for the care of terminally ill patients. This study aims to characterize the elderly population receiving end-of-life care plans and their management with palliative sedation in a geriatric unit at a high complexity hospital.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted, and a descriptive analysis was performed. Medical records of 163 patients admitted to a high complexity hospital in Bogota, Colombia between January 2016 and December 2019 were reviewed.RESULTS: From 163, 141 patients received an end-of-life care plan, and 22 were managed with palliative sedation. The mean age was 84 years, the most frequent cause of death was respiratory infections and 44% of patients had a history of cancer. Prior to admission, functional decline and the presence of moderate to severe dementia were frequently found. About one in ten persons required palliative sedation, which lasted an average of 2.22±5 days. The most common refractory symptom was dyspnea (45.45%), followed by pain (36.36%).CONCLUSIONS: Palliative sedation is prevalent in the elderly population and characterizing this population can provide increased knowledge to improve end-of-life care.
AB - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Symptom control at the end of life is essential, and palliative sedation is a viable intervention option for the care of terminally ill patients. This study aims to characterize the elderly population receiving end-of-life care plans and their management with palliative sedation in a geriatric unit at a high complexity hospital.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted, and a descriptive analysis was performed. Medical records of 163 patients admitted to a high complexity hospital in Bogota, Colombia between January 2016 and December 2019 were reviewed.RESULTS: From 163, 141 patients received an end-of-life care plan, and 22 were managed with palliative sedation. The mean age was 84 years, the most frequent cause of death was respiratory infections and 44% of patients had a history of cancer. Prior to admission, functional decline and the presence of moderate to severe dementia were frequently found. About one in ten persons required palliative sedation, which lasted an average of 2.22±5 days. The most common refractory symptom was dyspnea (45.45%), followed by pain (36.36%).CONCLUSIONS: Palliative sedation is prevalent in the elderly population and characterizing this population can provide increased knowledge to improve end-of-life care.
KW - Humans
KW - Aged
KW - Aged, 80 and over
KW - Palliative Care
KW - Geriatricians
KW - Cross-Sectional Studies
KW - Terminal Care
KW - Pain
U2 - 10.1016/j.regg.2023.101408
DO - 10.1016/j.regg.2023.101408
M3 - Artículo
C2 - 37757727
SN - 0211-139X
VL - 58
SP - 101408
JO - Revista Espanola de Geriatria y Gerontologia
JF - Revista Espanola de Geriatria y Gerontologia
IS - 6
ER -
