Chapter Four
Summary
• The aim of palliative sedation is to relieve refractory
suffering in patients with life-limiting diseases.
• Palliative sedation involves the monitored, deliberate
and proportional use of medications to reduce a person's
level of consciousness.
• Determining refractoriness is a joint decision and
consultation with a specialist palliative care team or other
healthcare experts is strongly recommended.
• Deep sedation should only be considered when light
sedation has been ineffective, or will not provide adequate
relief in time.
Key
Messages
Keywords
Suffering, deep sedation, palliative care, clinical
practice guideline, refractory symptoms,
palliative sedation
• The decision about artificial hydration therapy should be
independent of the decision about palliative sedation
itself.
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