Aspects of palliative medicine in intensive care units: A narrative review

ABSTRACT

Background: The perspective of palliative care has changed dynamically over the years, and palliative medicine, which was originally concerned with patients with advanced oncology diseases, has become an interdisciplinary area. Many societies have published guidelines for the use of palliative medicine in intensive care units. Method(s) This article presents indications and methods for implementing the principles of palliative medicine in intensive care units. Particular attention is devoted to the consultations of palliative medicine for current medical trends - COVID-19 infection, oncological diseases, fragility syndrome, and end-stage circulatory failure. Conclusion(s) Elements of palliative medicine are necessary for everyday practices in the intensive care unit. The most important task in cooperation is to present classifications that can help in the objective identification of patients requiring palliative care. It seems that creating a checklist of the qualifications for a palliative medicine consultation can be the next step towards making decisions about this form of therapy. Copyright © Via Medica.