Abstract
Context
Palliative care triggers have been used in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting,
usually in high-income countries, to identify patients who may benefit from palliative
care consults. The utility and benefits of palliative care triggers in the ICU have
not been previously studied in sub-Saharan Africa.
Objectives
Our objectives were to determine the prevalence of ICU admissions in those who met
at least one palliative care trigger and whether a palliative care consult influenced
the length of ICU stay and time to change of goals order.
Methods
We conducted a prospective observational cohort study within our ICU at the Aga Khan
University Hospital, Nairobi, between December 2019 and August 2020. Data including
initiation of a palliative care consult, length of ICU stay, mortality, and time to
change of goals order were collected.
Results
During our study period, 72 of 159 (45.9%) patients met at least one palliative care
trigger point. Of the patients who met the palliative care triggers, only 29.2% received
a palliative care consult. Patients who received palliative care consults had higher
rates of change of goals orders signed (52.3%) vs. those who did not (P = 0.009). There was no statistically significant difference between the consult and
nonconsult groups in regard to length of ICU stay, time to change of goals order,
and mortality.
Conclusion
A trigger-based model, geared to the needs of the specific ICU, may be one way of
improving integration of palliative care into the ICU, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 21, 2020
Accepted:
December 16,
2020
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
