Publication
Gasping in Dying Children: Health Care Professionals' Feelings and Knowledge
Pierron C, Maillard A, Farnoux C, Grimaud M, Bourgeois F · J Palliat Med · 2023
Purpose: To assess the feelings and knowledge of health care professionals (HCPs) about gasping in dying patients in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Methods: A 9-item questionnaire addressed to 488 HCPs (physicians, nurses, and nursing assistants) of 2 NICUs and 2 PICUs. Questions were about HCPs' feelings when confronted with gasping, their knowledge, and their opinions on what to tell family members. Results: Responses were obtained from 248 staff members. Of the respondents, 43% felt that gasping was painful to the patient and most felt that witnessing gasps was distressing for the parents, and 77% reported being distressed by witnessing gasps. Conclusions: Efforts are needed to educate HCPs about the physiology of gasping, to help them to cope with gasping, and to give better support to parents.
Synced from the TRENDS in Pediatric Palliative Care Zotero library, curated by The Siden Research Team. ICPCN does not host or verify the full text.