Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Corso di laurea in infermieristica - Sede di Modena
| Thesis Title | Palliative sedation in hospice |
|---|---|
| Name | Tagliazucchi Giorgia |
| Supervisor(s) | Mussi Chiara, Vacondio Paolo |
| Academic Year | 2019/20 |
| Thesis type | Research thesis |
Abstract
End-of-life needs are among the most complex that a healthcare team is called upon to respond to. Palliative sedation is a very delicate health option, because not widespread yet and the topic of many debates. The aim is studying the general clinical conditions of patients admitted to hospice and the use of palliative sedation, its indications and the outcomes found in patients subjected to it. Aspects concerning the management of the sedation process were investigated: the type and drugs used, up to the study of the psychological-relational context related to the patient and his family. Clinical-assistance data of 62 patients admitted to the Castelfranco Emilia hospice, were collected through the review of medical records and through a specific evaluation form.With the help of a second evaluation grid, the frequency and characteristics of the use of palliative sedation were analyzed. It emerged that 23 out of 62 patients underwent palliative sedation. There is no clear prevalence of one gender over the other: 12 were women, the remaining were men. The average age is 69.3 years. Almost the total of patients undergoing palliative sedation had neoplastic pathologies (95,7%). The drugs, mainly used for sedation, were midazolam, morphine and buscopan, which were effective in sedation itself and in contrasting refractory symptoms. It’s possible to affirm this, in relation to the medical and nursing monitoring of the procedure and also thanks to the satisfaction expressed by family members about the palliative sedation and the results obtained for their loved ones (95,5%). In the context analyzed, palliative sedation turned out to be safe and effective. The nurse plays a fundamental role in palliative care and in hospice, since he’s the professional figure present 24 hours a day, responsible for the management and monitoring of the sedation process. Plus, the additional role of the nurse as a health educator has had a lot of success.