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Special Topics - End of Life


Effect of palliative care-led meetings for families of patients with chronic critical illness.
Carson SS, Cox CE, Wallenstein S, Hanson LC, Danis M, Tulsky JA, Chai E, Nelson JE.
JAMA. 2016 Jul 5;316(1):51-62.

Rationale for inclusion: This manuscript evaluated the effect of a palliative care specialist-led communication intervention on both family and patient-centered outcomes in the setting of chronic critical illness. While their findings were not significant, this study highlights the importance of treating both patient and family members in a new field of chronic critical care. 

Citations  - To review the number of citations for this landmark paper, visit Google Scholar.

Changing the culture around end-of-life care in the trauma intensive care unit.
Mosenthal AC, Murphy PA, Barker LK, Lavery R, Retano A, Livingston DH.
J Trauma. 2008 Jun;64(6):1587-93.

Rationale for inclusion: Trauma -specific paper on end-of-life care in the ICU

Citations  - To review the number of citations for this landmark paper, visit Google Scholar.

Recommendations for end-of-life care in the intensive care unit: a consensus statement by the American College [corrected] of Critical Care Medicine.
Truog RD, Campbell ML, Curtis JR, Haas CE, Luce JM, Rubenfeld GD, Rushton CH, Kaufman DC; American Academy of Critical Care Medicine.
Crit Care Med. 2008 Mar;36(3):953-63.

Rationale for inclusion: This document serves as the most highly cited paper regarding family-centered care in the intensive care unit, providing recommendations regarding a comprehensive approach to end-of-life care. 

Citations  - To review the number of citations for this landmark paper, visit Google Scholar.

Prognostication during physician-family discussions about limiting life support in intensive care units.
White DB, Engelberg RA, Wenrich MD, Lo B, Curtis JR.
Crit Care Med. 2007 Feb;35(2):442-8.

Rationale for inclusion: On of the original yet contemporary prognositication papers in critical care

Citations  - To review the number of citations for this landmark paper, visit Google Scholar.

Clinical practice guidelines for support of the family in the patient-centered intensive care unit: American College of Critical Care Medicine Task Force 2004-2005.
Davidson JE, Powers K, Hedayat KM, Tieszen M, Kon AA, Shepard E, Spuhler V, Todres ID, Levy M, Barr J, Ghandi R, Hirsch G, Armstrong D; American College of Critical Care Medicine Task Force 2004-2005, Society of Critical Care Medicine.
Crit Care Med. 2007 Feb;35(2):605-22.

Rationale for inclusion: Goals for family involvement in goals of care conversations

Citations  - To review the number of citations for this landmark paper, visit Google Scholar.

Dying in the ICU: perspectives of family members.
Heyland DK, Rocker GM, O'Callaghan CJ, Dodek PM, Cook DJ.
Chest. 2003 Jul;124(1):392-7.

Rationale for inclusion: Classic paper, well quoted, on family member persectives of the ICU dying experience

Citations  - To review the number of citations for this landmark paper, visit Google Scholar.

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