CONTEXT: Patients, families, and surgeons often have high expectations of life-saving surgery following liver transplantation (LT), despite the presence of a severe life-limiting underlying illness. Hence, transition from curative to palliative care is difficult and may create conflicts around goals of care. OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that early communication with physicians/families would improve end-of-life care practice in the LT service patients. METHODS: Prospective, observational, pre/poststudy of consecutive LT service, surgical intensive care unit (SICU) patients, before and after a palliative care intervention was integrated. This included Part I (at admission), family support, prognosis, and patient preferences delineation; and Part II (within 72 hours), interdisciplinary family meeting. Data on goals-of-care discussions, do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders, withdrawal of life support, and family perceptions were collected. RESULTS: Seventy-nine LT patients with 21 deaths comprised the baseline group and 104 patients with 31 deaths the intervention group. Eighty-five percent of patients received Part I and 58% Part II of the intervention. Goals-of-care discussions on physician rounds increased from 2% to 38% of patient-days. During the intervention, although mortality rates were unchanged, DNR status increased (52-81%); withdrawal of life support increased (35-68%); DNR was instituted earlier; admission to DNR decreased (mean of 38-19 days); DNR to death time increased (two to four days); and SICU mean length of stay decreased (by three days). Family responses suggested more "time with family"/"time to say goodbye." CONCLUSION: Interdisciplinary communication interventions with physicians and families resulted in earlier consensus around goals of care for dying LT patients. Early integration of palliative care alongside disease-directed curative care can be accomplished in the SICU without change in mortality and has the ability to improve end-of-life care practice in LT patients.
CONTEXT: Patients, families, and surgeons often have high expectations of life-saving surgery following liver transplantation (LT), despite the presence of a severe life-limiting underlying illness. Hence, transition from curative to palliative care is difficult and may create conflicts around goals of care. OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that early communication with physicians/families would improve end-of-life care practice in the LT service patients. METHODS: Prospective, observational, pre/poststudy of consecutive LT service, surgical intensive care unit (SICU) patients, before and after a palliative care intervention was integrated. This included Part I (at admission), family support, prognosis, and patient preferences delineation; and Part II (within 72 hours), interdisciplinary family meeting. Data on goals-of-care discussions, do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders, withdrawal of life support, and family perceptions were collected. RESULTS: Seventy-nine LT patients with 21 deaths comprised the baseline group and 104 patients with 31 deaths the intervention group. Eighty-five percent of patients received Part I and 58% Part II of the intervention. Goals-of-care discussions on physician rounds increased from 2% to 38% of patient-days. During the intervention, although mortality rates were unchanged, DNR status increased (52-81%); withdrawal of life support increased (35-68%); DNR was instituted earlier; admission to DNR decreased (mean of 38-19 days); DNR to death time increased (two to four days); and SICU mean length of stay decreased (by three days). Family responses suggested more "time with family"/"time to say goodbye." CONCLUSION: Interdisciplinary communication interventions with physicians and families resulted in earlier consensus around goals of care for dying LT patients. Early integration of palliative care alongside disease-directed curative care can be accomplished in the SICU without change in mortality and has the ability to improve end-of-life care practice in LT patients.
Authors: Elizabeth J Lilley; Katherine C Lee; John W Scott; Nicole J Krumrei; Adil H Haider; Ali Salim; Rajan Gupta; Zara Cooper Journal: J Trauma Acute Care Surg Date: 2018-11 Impact factor: 3.313
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