Palliative Care in the Pediatric ICU: Challenges and Opportunities for Family-centered Practice

Overview

Journal J Soc Work End Life Palliat Care

Publisher Routledge

Specialty Critical Care

Date 2012 Dec 1

PMID 23194167

Citations 9

Authors

Ardith Doorenbos

Taryn Lindhorst

Helene Starks

Eugene Aisenberg

J Randall Curtis

Ross Hays

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The culture of pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) is focused on curative or life-prolonging treatments for seriously ill children. We present empirically-based approaches to family-centered palliative care that can be applied in PICUs. Palliative care in these settings is framed by larger issues related to the context of care in PICUs, the stressors experienced by families, and challenges to palliative care philosophy within this environment. Innovations from research on family-centered communication practices in adult ICU settings provide a framework for development of palliative care in PICUs and suggest avenues for social work support of critically ill children and their families.

Citing Articles

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Shepherding parents to prepare for end-of-life decision-making: a critical phenomenological study of the communication approach of paediatricians caring for children with life-limiting conditions in Australia.

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Zanin A, Brierley J, Latour J, Gawronski O Front Pediatr. 2023; 10:1067860.

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Vemuri S, Hynson J, Williams K, Gillam L BMC Med Ethics. 2022; 23(1):52.

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