Mind the gap: Opportunities for improving end-of-life care for patients with advanced heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Patients with advanced heart failure (HF) experience progressive symptoms, decreased quality of life, and more frequent hospitalizations as they approach the end of life (EOL). Understanding patient perspectives and preferences regarding EOL issues is necessary to identify key opportunities for improving care. OBJECTIVE: To identify, from the patient's perspective, the major opportunities for improving EOL care for patients hospitalized because of advanced HF. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of patient perspectives regarding EOL care was administered via interview of 106 hospitalized patients who had advanced HF in five tertiary care centres across Canada. The study compared which aspects of EOL care patients rated as 'extremely important' and their level of satisfaction with these aspects of EOL care to identify key opportunities for improvement of care. RESULTS: The greatest opportunities for improvement in EOL care were reducing the emotional and physical burden on family, having an adequate plan of care following discharge, effective symptom relief and opportunities for honest communication. The three most important issues ranked by patients were avoidance of life support if there was no hope for a meaningful recovery, communication of information by the doctor and avoidance of burden for the family. CONCLUSIONS: Advanced care planning that seamlessly bridges hospital and home must be standard care for patients who have advanced HF. Components must include coordination of care, caregiver support, comprehensive symptom management, and effective communication regarding HF and EOL issues.

End-of-life care for persons with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: report of a national interdisciplinary consensus meeting.

While systemic shortcomings in meeting the needs of individuals with progressive chronic illnesses at the end of life have been well documented, there is growing interest in improving both care and quality of life for persons with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). For instance, the American Thoracic Society has issued an official statement on palliative care for patients with respiratory diseases, affirming that the prevention, relief, reduction and soothing of symptoms "without affecting a cure" must become an integral component of standard care. A recent Medline search located 1015 articles related to palliative or end-of life care for people with COPD published between 2001 and 2008, compared with only 336 articles published before 2001. To address the needs of Canadian patients, an interdisciplinary consensus meeting, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and supported by the Canadian Thoracic Society, the Canadian Respiratory Health Professionals and the Canadian Lung Association was convened in Toronto, Ontario, on November 22, 2008, to begin examining the quality of end-of-life care for individuals with COPD in Canada. The present report summarizes the background to and outcomes of this consensus meeting.

Palliation of dyspnoea in advanced COPD: revisiting a role for opioids.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will be the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2020. The burdens of this increasingly prevalent illness borne by patients, their family caregivers and the healthcare system are substantial. Dyspnoea as the predominant symptom becomes increasingly difficult to palliate as COPD progresses through advanced stages and, for 50% of patients, can become refractory to conventional treatment. This narrative review focuses on the potential role for carefully initiated and titrated opioids in the management of dyspnoea for patients with advanced COPD who are not yet in a terminal stage, yet struggle with symptoms that reflect underlying mechanisms of dyspnoea that lend themselves to this approach. The many barriers that currently exist to the provision of opioids in this setting are addressed, and recommendations are provided for an approach that should engender confidence among patients, their caregivers and the physicians who treat them.

Advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: rethinking models of care.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is unique among leading causes of death in western society. Prevalence, associated morbidity and attributable mortality continue to rise. The resultant cost in quality of life to patients, families and to the health care system in general, demands improvements in the prevention and treatment of this common and ultimately debilitating condition. Traditional healthcare approaches to COPD, based on the biomedical model, have focused on the underlying pathophysiology of disease within which patients receive episodic care aimed at treating and preventing acute exacerbations. In contrast, patients living with COPD interpret it from an individually experienced illness perspective impacted by unique contextual factors that influence personal meaning. The psychosocial ramifications that follow the inexorable decline in capacity and independence are powerful forces shaping the experience of patients living with advancing COPD. The dominant role and impact of psychosocial effects on quality of life in advancing COPD require us to rethink our approach to care to more effectively address these more elusive yet chronically troublesome issues.

Improving patients' safety locally: changing clinician behaviour.

Safety initiatives in hospitals should focus on common health care interventions that when used appropriately can improve important health outcomes, and when used inappropriately or not at all, result in substantial harm. We suggest that errors of omission should be a safety priority. We focus on preventive health care interventions, and describe five steps that can improve patients' safety by changing clinician behaviour. The steps are to: do an environmental scan; understand current behaviour, target behaviour for change (why, what, when, where, and who); adopt effective strategies to change behaviour; and synergise.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation directives on admission to intensive-care unit: an international observational study.

BACKGROUND: Resuscitation directives should be a sign of patient's preference. Our objective was to ascertain prevalence, predictors, and procurement pattern of cardiopulmonary resuscitation directives within 24 h of admission to the intensive-care unit (ICU). METHODS: We enrolled 2916 patients aged 18 years and older from 15 ICUs in four countries, and recorded whether, when, and by whom their cardiopulmonary resuscitation directives were established. By polychotomous logistic regression we identified factors associated with a resuscitate or do-not-resuscitate directive. FINDINGS: Of 2916 patients, 318 (11%; 95% CI 9.8-12.1) had an explicit resuscitation directive. In 159 (50%; 44.4-55.6) patients, the directive was do-not-resuscitate. Directives were established by residents for 145 (46%; 40.0-51.3) patients. Age strongly predicted do-not-resuscitate directives: for 50-64, 65-74, and 75 years and older, odds ratios were 3.4 (95% CI 1.6-7.3), 4.4 (2.2-9.2), and 8.8 (4.4-17.8), respectively. APACHE II scores greater than 20 predicted resuscitate and do-not-resuscitate directives in a similar way. An explicit directive was likely for patients admitted at night (odds ratio 1.4 [1.0-1.9] and 1.6 [1.2-2.3] for resuscitate and do-not-resuscitate, respectively) and during weekends (1.9 [1.3-2.7] and 2.2 [1.5-3.2], respectively). Inability to make a decision raised the likelihood of a do-not-resuscitate (3.7 [2.6-5.4]) than a resuscitate (1.7 [1.2-2.3]) directive (p=0.0005). Within Canada and the USA, cities differed strikingly, as did centres within cities. INTERPRETATION: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation directives established within 24 h of admission to ICU are uncommon. As well as clinical factors, timing and location of admission might determine rate and nature of resuscitation directives.

Evaluation and survey of intravenous vitamin K1 for treatment of coagulopathy in critically ill patients.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine patient factors associated with coagulopathy, to assess variables affecting response to vitamin K1, to describe vitamin K1-associated adverse reactions, and to survey Canadian tertiary care hospitals about vitamin K1 practice patterns in their intensive care units (ICUs). DESIGN: Retrospective chart audit and prospective survey. SETTING: Medical-surgical ICU with a 23-bed complement in a tertiary care, university-affiliated hospital, and 47 Canadian tertiary care hospitals. PATIENTS: Forty-eight critically ill patients with nonconsumptive coagulopathies. INTERVENTION: Intravenous vitamin K1 utilization over 4 months. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The only independent risk factor for elevated baseline international normalized ratios (INRs) was Acute Physiologic and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score (r2 = 0.51, p<0.05). The INR values decreased after two doses of vitamin K1 10 mg for patients grouped as a whole (2.14 +/- 0.96 to 1.61 +/- 0.62, p<0.0001) and when patients were stratified according to APACHE II scores below 23 (1.83 +/- 0.44 to 1.34 +/- 0.18, p<0.05). The INRs were not significantly reduced for patients with APACHE II scores of 23 or greater (2.44 +/- 1.23 to 1.82 +/- 0.66). No variables were associated with response, and adverse events were not observed. Of 47 Canadian tertiary care hospitals surveyed, 27 (55%) responded. Twenty-four (89%) indicated that vitamin K1 was administered intravenously, and no adverse events resembling anaphylaxis were reported. CONCLUSION: Administration of two doses of intravenous vitamin K1 10 mg was associated with reversal of coagulopathies, but variable responses may be expected for patients with high APACHE II scores. Randomized, placebo-controlled studies are necessary to confirm the effectiveness of vitamin K1.

Comparison of cisapride and metoclopramide for facilitating gastric emptying and improving tolerance to intragastric enteral nutrition in critically III, mechanically ventilated adults.

BACKGROUND: Placebo-controlled studies have indicated that both cisapride and metoclopramide promote gastric motility in critically ill patients. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to compare cisapride and metoclopramide for facilitating gastric emptying and improving tolerance to intragastric enteral nutrition (EN) and to evaluate the relationship between aspirated gastric residual volume and gastric emptying function in this patient population. METHODS: In this double-blind study, critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients with an aspirated gastric residual volume > or = 150 mL while receiving intragastric EN were randomized to receive enteral cisapride 10 mg or metoclopramide 10 mg every 6 hours for a total of 7 doses. The acetaminophen-absorption method was used to assess gastric emptying at baseline and 30 minutes after the seventh dose by determining the area under the plasma concentration-time curve at 240 minutes (AUC240), maximum concentration (Cmax), and time to Cmax (Tmax). Gastric residual volume was measured every 6 hours before dosing. RESULTS: Fourteen patients were included in the study, 7 in each group. Patient characteristics were similar in the 2 groups. Compared with baseline, metoclopramide significantly accelerated Tmax (39.00 +/- 15.56 min with metoclopramide vs 103.71 +/- 47.35 min at baseline; P = 0.018) and increased Cmax (12.94 +/- 6.68 mg/L vs 6.97 +/- 4.78 mg/L; P = 0.018) and AUC240 (1,421.43 +/- 780.31 mg/L x min vs 839.00 +/- 545.58 mg/L x min; P = 0.043). Cisapride increased Cmax from baseline (12.27 +/- 8.95 mg/L vs 4.53 +/- 2.37 mg/L, respectively), but the difference was not statistically significant. Gastric residual volume was significantly reduced from baseline after 3 doses of metoclopramide (from 268.7 +/- 112.3 mL to 57.0 +/- 23.1 mL; P < 0.05) and was significantly lower after the seventh dose of metoclopramide than after the seventh dose of cisapride (5.3 +/- 8.2 mL vs 41.4 +/- 39.7 mL, respectively; P = 0.05). Cmax at baseline and residual volume at study entry were inversely correlated (r = -0.50; P = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Both cisapride and metoclopramide enhanced gastric motility and improved tolerance to intragastric EN. Metoclopramide reduced gastric residual volume to a significantly greater extent than did cisapride. Only Cmax at baseline was inversely associated with residual volume.

Decision making and end-of-life care in critically ill children.

OBJECTIVES: 1) To comment on the medical literature on decision making regarding end-of-life therapy, 2) to analyze the data on disagreement about such therapy, including palliative care, and withholding and withdrawal practices for critically ill children in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), and 3) to make some general recommendations. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION: All papers published in peer-reviewed journals, and all chapters on end-of-life therapy, or on conflict between parents and caregivers about end-of-life decisions in the PICU were retrieved. RESULTS: We found three case series, three systematic descriptive studies, two qualitative studies, four surveys, and many legal opinions, editorials, reviews, guidelines, and book chapters. The main determinants of end-of-life decisions are the child's age, premorbid cognitive condition and functional status, pain or discomfort, probability of survival, and quality of life. Risk factors in persistent conflict between parents and caregivers about end-of-life care include a grave underlying condition or an unexpected and severe event. CONCLUSION: Making decisions about end-of-life care is a frequent event in the PICU. Children may need both intensive care and palliative care concurrently at different stages of their illness. Disagreements are more likely to be resolved if the root cause of the conflict is better understood.

End-of-life care in the ICU: treatments provided when life support was or was not withdrawn.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare and contrast use of technology, pharmacology, and physician variability in end-of-life care of ICU patients dying with or without active life support. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Two medical-surgical tertiary-care ICUs in a Canadian regional referral teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred seventy-four patients who died between July 1, 1996, and June 30, 1997. INTERVENTION: Data abstraction from medical records. RESULTS: Patients in whom life support was withheld or withdrawn (138 of 174, 79%) were older (65 +/- 16 years vs 55 +/- 18 years; p < 0.05 [mean +/- SD]). Once the decision to withdraw life support was made, death occurred in 4.3 h (2.1 to 6.5 h; mean [95% confidence interval]). Patients who had active life support treatment until death received more support measures including inotropic agents (36 of 36 vs 21 of 138; p < 0.05), dialysis (4 of 36 vs 2 of 138; p < 0.05), and mechanical ventilation at the time of death (36 of 36 vs 81 of 138; p < 0.05). Physician differences (> 10-fold) were detected for prescribed doses of morphine and sedative agents whether or not life support was withheld or withdrawn. The median cumulative dose of morphine prescribed during the final 12 h was larger (fivefold) in patients undergoing withdrawal of life support. No documented discussion of life support withdrawal was noted in one case. In the remaining patients, the 10 staff physicians were documented to be involved in 77% (range, 54 to 94%) of the end-of-life discussions. CONCLUSIONS: Differences were evident in technologic and pharmacologic support and in physician prescribing habits in patients for whom life support was or was not withheld or withdrawn. Substantial variability was noted in physician documentation of physician-family interactions surrounding the withdrawal of life support.

A prospective evaluation of empiric versus protocol-based sedation and analgesia.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare empiric and protocol-based therapies of sedation and analgesia in terms of pharmacologic cost, effects on mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and quality of sedation and analgesia. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: A 24-bed medical-surgical-neurologic ICU. PATIENTS: Seventy-two patients evaluated during empiric therapy and 86 during protocol-based therapy. INTERVENTION: Assessment of data collected for 4 months before and 5 months after an evidence-based sedation and analgesia protocol was implemented. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Protocol adherence rate was 83.7%. The hourly cost (Canadian dollars) of sedation was less with protocol-based therapy ($5.68 +/- 4.27 vs $7.69 +/- 5.29, p<0.01) likely due to increased lorazepam use. Pharmacologic cost savings may be negated since sedation duration tended to be longer (122.7 +/- 142.8 vs 88.0 +/- 94.8 hrs, p<0.1) and extubation may have been delayed (61.6 +/- 97.4 vs 39.1 +/- 54.7 hrs, p=0.13) with protocol use. Duration of ICU stay after sedation was discontinued was not significantly different before and after protocol implementation. With the protocol, however, the percentage of modified Ramsay sedation scores representing discomfort decreased from 22.4 to 11% (p<0.001) and the percentage at a score of 4 increased from 17.2% to 29.6% (p<0.01). The percentage of modified visual analog measurements representing pain decreased from 9.6 to 5.9% (p<0.05) with the protocol. When data were stratified according to duration of sedation, the benefits and delayed extubation associated with protocol-based therapy were limited to patients requiring long-term sedation. CONCLUSION: Compliance with this protocol reduced drug costs and enhanced the quality of sedation and analgesia for patients requiring long-term sedation. Protocol-based therapy with lorazepam may have delayed extubation but did not delay ICU discharge.

Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation: successful outcome in patients with acute lung injury/ARDS.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing support for the use of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) in the treatment of patients with acute respiratory failure. Highest success rates are recorded in patients with exacerbation of COPD, particularly in patients presenting primarily with hypercarbic respiratory failure. Success has been more limited in patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, and there are few reports of NPPV in patients with acute lung injury (ALI) or ARDS. OBJECTIVES: We report the outcome of 12 episodes of ALI/ARDS in 10 patients treated with NPPV. DESIGN: Experiential cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary referral center and university hospital ICU. INTERVENTION: Provision of NPPV in patients with ALI/ARDS. RESULTS: Group median (range) APACHE (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation) II score was 16 (11 to 29). Success rate (avoidance of intubation and no further assisted ventilation for 72 h) was achieved on six of nine occasions (66%) when NPPV was used as the initial mode of assisted ventilation. It failed after three episodes of planned (1) or self (2) extubation. Duration of successful NPPV was 64.5 h (23.5 to 80.5 h) with ICU discharge in the next 24 to 48 h for three of six patients. Unsuccessful episodes lasted 7.3 h (0.1 to 116 h) with need for conventional ventilation for an additional 5 days (2.7 to 14 days). Survival (ICU and hospital) for the 10 patients was 70%. CONCLUSIONS: In a group of hemodynamically stable patients with severe ALI, NPPV had a high success rate. NPPV should be considered as a treatment option for patients in stable condition in the early phase of ALI/ARDS.

Alveolar overdistension is an important mechanism of persistent lung damage following severe protracted ARDS.

It is now widely accepted that mechanical ventilation may damage the lung, but the mechanism of lung damage is not clear. Possible causes include overdistension of aerated alveoli by inappropriately large tidal volumes (volutrauma), shear stresses generated during the recruitment and de-recruitment of lung units at the junction of aerated and collapsed lung, and infective or ischaemic necrosis of persistently collapsed lung. Computerized tomography allows noninvasive assessment of lung structure during and after acute lung injury, and may provide insight into the mechanism of lung damage. Using serial high resolution computed tomography we documented lung structure one month after recovery from severe protracted adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in three patients who required mechanical ventilation for between 86 and 97 days; the computed tomograms were repeated at between 5 and 14 months. All three patients had persistent abnormalities of lung structure which were most marked in the anterior regions of the lung. These findings suggest that overdistension of non-dependent lung regions in the main mechanism of lung damage persisting after recovery from severe protracted ARDS.