A retrospective study on end-of-life care in the emergency department of a tertiary hospital in Singapore

Abstract

Introduction: The emergency department receives a whole breadth of patient types. Those who are imminently dying may attend the emergency department in the hours or days leading up to their demise, necessitating the initiation of end-of-life care in the emergency department. Aim: The aim of our study was to describe the characteristics and management of imminently dying patients who had presented to our emergency department to identify opportunities for improvement in the provision of end-of-life care in the emergency department. Methods: A retrospective study involving patients who died in the emergency department within 48 hours of registration presenting between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2018 was carried out. Results: Out of 59 included patients, 91.5% had pre-existing medical conditions; 25.4% had end-stage organ failure of which renal and cardiac were most common. Only 15.3% had preferred care plans documented and among these, only a minority (33.3%) had undergone formal advance care planning. The most common presenting symptom among patients who died within 48 hours was dyspnoea (44.1%). The most common investigation done was capillary blood glucose (84.7%) and the most common procedure was an intravenous peripheral cannula insertion (84.7%). Antibiotics were given in 30.5% of the patients and fentanyl was administered in 20.3% for symptom control. Conclusion: The majority of patients presenting to the emergency department within hours or days of their demise had pre-existing chronic or terminal conditions but only a few had specified their preferences for end-of-life care. Investigations and procedures that do not affect patient comfort or outcomes should be minimised.