SynthesisIntensive care medicine2024
Assessing palliative care practices in intensive care units and interpreting them using the lens of appropriate care concepts. An umbrella review.
Synthesis in Intensive care medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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
9 citing papers in PubMed.
- End-Of-Life Care in a Cardiac Intensive Care Unit: A Retrospective Analysis of Interventions During the Last 48 Hours.Nursing in critical care · 2026Article
- How prognostic information influences care planning in adult intensive care units: protocol for a realist review.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Foundational principles for young intensivists to drive better outcomes: palliative care.Critical care science · 2026Article
- Predictors of Advance Directive Changes in Ontario Nursing Home Residents: A Case-Control Study.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2026Article
- Translation and validation of the Portuguese version of the "Care of the Dying Evaluation".Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992) · 2026Observational
- Impact of a decision-making support framework on nurse burnout and quality of end-of-life care: A before-and-after study in intensive care units.International journal of nursing studies advances · 2025Article
- How Long Do We Have? A Retrospective Review of Palliative Extubation in the Burn Unit.Journal of burn care & research : official publication of the American Burn Association · 2025Article
- Bridging the gap: implementing ESICM end-of-life care guidelines in resource-limited settings.Intensive care medicine · 2025Article
- Medical Professionals' Treatment Decisions for Critical Patients With Ambiguous Treatment Wishes: A Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
15 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeIntensive care units (ICUs) have significant palliative care needs but lack a reliable care framework. This umbrella review addresses them by synthesising palliative care practices provided at end-of-life to critically ill patients and their families before, during, and after ICU admission.
methodsSeven databases were systematically searched for systematic reviews, and the umbrella review was conducted according to the guidelines laid out by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI).
resultsOut of 3122 initial records identified, 40 systematic reviews were included in the synthesis. Six key themes were generated that reflect the palliative and end-of-life care practices in the ICUs and their outcomes. Effective communication and accurate prognostications enabled families to make informed decisions, cope with uncertainty, ease distress, and shorten ICU stays. Inter-team discussions and agreement on a plan are essential before discussing care goals. Recording care preferences prevents unnecessary end-of-life treatments. Exceptional end-of-life care should include symptom management, family support, hydration and nutrition optimisation, avoidance of unhelpful treatments, and bereavement support. Evaluating end-of-life care quality is critical and can be accomplished by seeking family feedback or conducting a survey.
conclusionThis umbrella review encapsulates current palliative care practices in ICUs, influencing patient and family outcomes and providing insights into developing an appropriate care framework for critically ill patients needing end-of-life care and their families.
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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.