MICU Education

University of Pittsburgh



Palliative Care in the ICU

The ICU is a common setting for initiation of palliative care. Palliative care services are implemented for reasons such as pain control or transitioning to hospice with changing of goals of care. The American Board of Internal Medicine highlights the importance of palliative care in the ICU with their Choosing Wisely campaign from the Critical Care Societies Collaborative (see #5).


 

This short (4-minute) video shows key steps in conducting an effective family meeting for seriously ill patients.

More information can be found at this link:
Conduct a Family Conference - Vital Talk

 

Grand Rounds

 

In this Pulmonary Grand Rounds video,
Dr. Kathleen Lindell
speaks about making the case for early referral for palliative care.

More information, as well as Dr. Lindell's full presentation, can be viewed here:
The Clock is Ticking: Making the Case for Early Palliative Care in IPF



Additional Reading

The follow two links are excellent overviews of palliative care.

For recent topics on palliative care in critical care, visit: PulmCCM



What should you be able to answer after reviewing palliative care?



References

Cook D, Rocker G. Dying with dignity in the intensive care unit. N Engl J Med. Jun 26 2014; 370(26):2506-2514.