Palliative Care Team Consultation: Circumstances Surrounding Patients Deaths At The Icu

Introduction Previous studies reported that patients in end-of-life (EOL) care may still receive aggressive treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) [1]. Despite the fact that less than 10% of Americans report that they would be willing to die in the hospital, up to 45% may ultimately do so. A significant fraction will perish in a critical care setting, which may represent a deviation from previous patients’ values. Therefore, it appears to be crucial to understand the circumstances surrounding the death of patients in end-of-life care, specifically which factors might be associated with decision to transfer or to maintain patients in EOL care in the ICU.