Journal of palliative medicine
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Prehospital emergency providers (emergency medical technicians [EMTs] and paramedics) who respond to emergency calls for patients near the end of life (EOL) make critical decisions in the field about initiating care and transport to an emergency department. ⋯ These study results suggest the need for addressing the potential interrelationship between prehospital and EOL care through improved education and protocols for care in the field.
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Donation after cardiac death (DCD) is technique of organ donation that has increased the number of available organs for transplant. This process allows organ donation after declaring death using cardiopulmonary criteria. Concerns exist with quality of symptom control and family support during this process. ⋯ This hospital has a DCD protocol established. The article reviews basic concepts of DCD. It reviews how a palliative care team interacts with other hospital teams to provide expert symptom control and emotional support for families during the DCD process.