SynthesisBMJ supportive & palliative care2021
What is the impact of clinically assisted hydration in the last days of life? A systematic literature review and narrative synthesis.
Synthesis in BMJ supportive & palliative care, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 28 citations in OpenAlex.
- Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) expert opinion/guidance on the use of clinically assisted hydration in patients with advanced cancer.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024Guideline
- Medically assisted hydration for adults receiving palliative care.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- Clinically assisted hydration in patients in the last days of life ('CHELsea II' trial): a cluster randomised trial.BMJ open · 2022Trial
- Nutrition in Advanced Disease and End of Life Cancer Care.Seminars in oncology nursing · 2025Review
- Nurses' experiences of ethical challenges concerning thirst in dying patients in specialist palliative care: a qualitative study.BMC palliative care · 2024Article
- Drugs, delirium, and ethics at the end of life.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2024Article
- Use of artificial hydration in patients diagnosed with senility as the cause of death by home care physicians: A cross₋sectional study.Journal of general and family medicine · 2024Article
- Ethical challenges around thirst in end-of-life care -experiences of palliative care physicians.BMC medical ethics · 2023Article
- Thirst or dry mouth in dying patients?-A qualitative study of palliative care physicians' experiences.PloS one · 2023Article
- Medical communication and decision-making about assisted hydration in the last days of life: A qualitative study of doctors experienced with end of life care.Palliative medicine · 2022Article
- The Dilemma of Treating Delirium: the Conundrum of Drug Management.Current treatment options in oncology · 2022Review
- Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Prognostication in Oncology, Dementia, Frailty, and Pulmonary Diseases.Journal of palliative medicine · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundClinically assisted hydration (CAH) can be provided in the last days of life as drinking declines. The impact of this practice on quality of life or survival in the last days of life is unclear. Practice varies worldwide concerning this emotive issue.
methodSystematic literature review and narrative synthesis of studies evaluating the impact of, or attitudes toward, CAH in the last days of life. Databases were searched up to December 2019. Studies were included if the majority of participants were in the last 7 days of life, and were evaluated using Gough's 'Weight of Evidence' framework. Review protocol registered with PROSPERO, registration number CRD42019125837.
resultsFifteen studies were included in the synthesis. None were judged to be both of high quality and relevance. No evidence was found that the provision of CAH has an impact on symptoms or survival. Patient and family carer attitudes toward assisted hydration were diverse.
conclusionThere is currently insufficient evidence to draw firm conclusions on the impact of CAH in the last days of life. Future research needs to focus on patients specifically in the last days of life, include those with non-malignant diagnoses, and evaluate best ways to communicate effectively about this complex topic with patients and their families.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.