Medical Professionals

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   Hospice Appropriate Indicators for the Medical Professional

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) Position Statement and Commentary on the Use of Palliative Sedation in Imminently Dying Terminally Ill Patients.    Download PDF

Palliative sedation is an important option to be considered by health care providers, patients and families for the limited number of imminently dying patients who have pain and suffering that is (a) unresponsive to other palliative interventions less suppressive of consciousness and (b) intolerable to the patient. This article from the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management sets forth NHPCO’s position on the use of palliative sedation for patients at the end of life, recommends questions and issues to be addressed, and assists health care organizations in the development of policies for the use of palliative sedation. This statement addresses the use of palliative sedation only for patients who are terminally ill and whose death is imminent.