End-of-life care in the intensive care unit

Abstract

The transition from active, invasive interventions to comfort care for critical care patients is often fraught with misunderstandings, conflict and moral distress. The most common issues that arise are ethical dilemmas around the equivalence of withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment; the doctrine of double effect; the balance between paternalism and shared decision-making; legal challenges around best-interest decisions for patients that lack capacity; conflict resolution; and practical issues during the limitation of treatment. The aim of this article is to address commonly posed questions on these aspects of end-of-life care in the intensive care unit, using best available evidence, and provide practical guidance to critical care clinicians in the UK. With the help of case vignettes, we clarify the disassociation of withdrawing and/or withholding treatment from euthanasia; offer practical suggestions for the use of sedation and analgesia around the end of life, dissipating concerns about hastening death; and advocate for the inclusion of family in decision-making, when the patient does not have capacity. We propose a step-escalation approach in cases of family conflict and advocate for incorporation of communication skills during medical and nursing training.

Keywords: end-of-life care; medical ethics; palliative care; symptom control.