Intensive care medicine
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Intensive care medicine · Sep 2020
Review Meta AnalysisPain management during the withholding and withdrawal of life support in critically ill patients at the end-of-life: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
To review and summarize the most frequent medications and dosages used during withholding and withdrawal of life-prolonging measures in critically ill patients in the intensive care unit. ⋯ Pain control is centered on opioids and adjunctive benzodiazepines, with dosages exceeding those recommended by guidelines. Despite consistency among guidelines, there is significant heterogeneity among practices in end-of-life care.