Intravenous fluids and the hospitalized dying: a medical last rite?

The authors examined charts for evidence of the use of intravenous fluids in all patients who died from malignant disease occurring in a tertiary care teaching hospital during a one-year period. Of 106 patients who were identified, 86 received intravenous fluids within their last 30 days of life, and 73 died with an intravenous line running.Intravenous fluid use appeared to be independent of age, sex, language, presence of family members, primary tumour site, presence of metastases, duration of illness, and presence of a "no cardiopulmonary resuscitation" order. Total lengths of stay and survival time after obtaining "do not resuscitate" orders were longer in those who died without intravenous fluids. More than two-thirds of patients with cancer who died in hospital did so with an intravenous line.