Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
9368292 Anales de Pediatría 2005 8 Pages PDF
Abstract
Palliative care is essential in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Because of the mortality rates and the presence of life-threatening conditions in children admitted to the PICU, pediatricians must be prepared to provide palliative care independently of cure-directed therapies. The present article reviews certain issues, including the decision- making process in the PICU, psychosocial needs and susceptibility to burnout among PICU staff, and the emotions and attitudes of the staff when a child dies. We provide some guidelines on how to act when a child dies, how to meet with parents after the child's death and how to follow- up parental bereavement. Strategies that can help PICU pediatricians to cope with the numerous loses they experience are suggested.
Related Topics
Health Sciences Medicine and Dentistry Perinatology, Pediatrics and Child Health
Authors
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