End-of-Life Decisions in Surgical Inten… | Clinical Trial

Key information

Conditions

Quality of Life

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

About this study

Decisions to limit life-support therapy are common on the intensive care unit (ICU). End-of-life decisions (EOLD) underlie a dynamic process and limitation of ICU-therapies is done sequentially. Questionnaire-based and observational studies on medical ICUs and in palliative care reveal blood transfusions as the first therapy physicians withhold in EOLDs. Whether this practice also applies to surgical ICU-patients is unknown.

The purpose of this retrospective observational study is to describe the sequence of ICU-therapies that are limited and to compare characteristics and the decision making process in surgical ICU-patients.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

All surgical patients admitted to the ICU All surgical patients discharged death from the ICU

Exclusion criteria

All patients discharged alive from the ICU

Treatment and study plan

retrospective analysis

Other

Approximately 200 patients will be enrolled in the study. They are followed up until their death on the ICU. In clinical routine end-of-life decisions are documented for decision-makers and procedures in the patients´ records. Patients´ characteristics and therapeutic approaches are documented in the electronic patient data management system.

Primary outcomes

sequence of withdrawing life-sustaining treatment

Time frame: 3 years

The primary objective of this study performed according to an observational post-ad-hoc design is to identify the sequence of withdrawing life-sustaining treatment in surgical ICU-patients with an end-of-life decision on an intensive care unit of a German academic medical center.

Approximately 200 patients will be enrolled in the study. They are followed up until their death on the ICU. In clinical routine end-of-life decisions are documented for decision-makers and procedures in the patients´ records. Patients´ characteristics and therapeutic approaches are documented in the electronic patient data management system.

Secondary outcomes

factors associated with the withholding of specific ICU-therapies

Time frame: 3 years

Approximately 200 patients will be enrolled in the study. They are followed up until their death on the ICU. In routine end-of-life decisions are documented for decision-makers and procedures in the patients´ records. Patients´ characteristics and therapeutic approaches are documented in the electronic patient data management system

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Charite University, Berlin, Germany

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2008
Primary completion: 2011
Study completion: 2015
First posted: Aug 13, 2015
Registry last updated: Aug 13, 2015

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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Completed