Clinical audit to evaluate the palliative care and pain relief practices in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Patients approaching end of life may experience intractable symptoms managed with palliative sedation. The legalization of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in Canada in 2016 offers a new option for relief of intolerable suffering, and there is limited evidence examining how the use of palliative sedation has evolved with the introduction of MAiD. Objectives: To compare rates of palliative sedation at a tertiary care hospital before and after the legalization of MAiD. Methods: This study is a retrospective chart analysis of all deaths of patients followed by the palliative care consult team in acute care, or admitted to the palliative care unit. We compared the use of palliative sedation during 1-year periods before and after the legalization of MAiD, and screened charts for MAiD requests during the second time period. Results: 4.7% (n = 25) of patients who died in the palliative care unit pre-legalization of MAiD received palliative sedation compared to 14.6% (n = 82) post-MAiD, with no change in acute care. Post-MAiD, 4.1% of deaths were medically-assisted deaths in the palliative care unit (n = 23) and acute care (n = 14). For patients who requested MAiD but instead received palliative sedation, the primary reason was loss of decisional capacity to consent for MAiD. Conclusion: We believe that the mainstream presence of MAiD has resulted in an increased recognition of MAiD and palliative sedation as distinct entities, and rates of palliative sedation increased post-MAiD due to greater awareness about patient choice and increased comfort with end-of-life options.

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Clinical Audit of Obstetrical Hysterectomies for a Period of One Year in A Tertiary Care Hospital

Esculapio ◽

10.51273/esc20.2516411 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (4 (oct 2020 - dec 2020)) ◽

Author(s):

Farzana Latif ◽

Sadia Ilyas ◽

Saeed Mehmood ◽

Hammad Arif ◽

Nuzhat Parveen Khawaja ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gestational Age ◽

Tertiary Care Hospital ◽

Clinical Audit ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Hospital Record ◽

Record System ◽

Peripartum Hysterectomy ◽

Emergency Peripartum Hysterectomy ◽

One Year

Objectives: To audit the obstetric hysterectomies in a tertiary care hospital during one year. Methods: It was an observational retrospective study design, where all the pregnant women were assessed for fetomaternal outcomes, indications and complications for peripartum hysterectomy. The records were retrieved from Jan 2015 to Dec 2015 by using hospital record system. The study duration was of one year. The venue of the study was Lahore General hospital, Lahore. The exclusion criteria included all unmarried women, women with chronic kidney disease or renal failure, past surgical history of heart disease, whereas all the women who delivered in hospital, private clinic or at home after atleast 28 weeks of gestational age and experience hysterectomy at the time of delivery or after delivery in the puerperium, were included in the study. Results: The data over 32 women were retrieved from the hospital record system. The mean age of the women was 30.34+2.23 with range 26-34. The average number of parity was 3 of all females. The range of parity was 2 to 7. The average gestational age was 36.18 weeks. All the deliveries were done by cesarean section whereas 4 (12.5%) were elective and 28 (87.5%) were with emergency indications. 13 (40.6%) of the deliveries were in private clinic, 9 (28.1%) were done by LHV/ mid wife, 5(15.6%) were in private hospitals, 4(12.5%) were in LGH and only 1(3.1%) was at home. 18(56.3%) of the women were having at least one abortion in previous history. Conclusion: We concluded that emergency peripartum hysterectomy is very vital procedure that saves lives and manage life threatening obstetrical hemorrhage when other methods failed to control it.The major indications for emergency peripartum hysterectomy were placental abruption, placenta praevia/accrete, uterine atony and ruptured uterus. Key Words: Uterine artery embolization, Emergency peripartum hysterectomy, maternal morbidity and mortality, healthcare providers How to Cite: Latif F, Ilyas S, Mehmood S. Arif H. Khawaja P. Nuzhat. Jawad Z. J Clinical audit of obstetrical hysterectomies for a period of one year in a tertiary care hospital. Esculapio.2020;16(04):50-53.

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