Perceptible Signs of End of Life in Pediatric Intensive Care Patients
Title
Perceptible Signs of End of Life in Pediatric Intensive Care Patients
Creator
Pierron C; Levy M; Mattioni V; Poncelet G; Le Bourgeois F
Identifier
Publisher
Journal of Palliative Medicine
Date
2022
Subject
Bereavement; Death;End-of-Life Care; Intensive Care Unit; Parents; Pediatric
Description
Background: How children die in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) has been poorly described, and support for parents during this traumatic experience could be improved. Better information on perceptible signs of the end of life (EOL) in children may help mitigate the trauma. Objective: To describe the most common perceptible EOL signs in PICU patients. Methods: A prospective study in a PICU. Health care providers observed 28 children expected to die and noted the perceptible signs. Results: The most common perceptible signs were desaturation and bradycardia. Twenty-seven patients had at least one change in physical appearance. Gasping was noted in 12 patients. Conclusion: Perceptible signs of the EOL were different from those reported in children dying in other units or in adults. Sharing information about signs of EOL with parents may prepare them and enable them to better support their child.
Rights
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
Citation List Month
November 2022 List
URL Address
Collection
Citation
Pierron C; Levy M; Mattioni V; Poncelet G; Le Bourgeois F, “Perceptible Signs of End of Life in Pediatric Intensive Care Patients,” Pediatric Palliative Care Library, accessed April 23, 2024, https://pedpalascnetlibrary.omeka.net/items/show/18543.