[Decision-Making by Hospital Teams Regarding Access and Use of Life-Support Technology and End-of-Life Processes in Critically Ill Adult Patients: A Narrative Review].

Abstract

Death processes have been progressively transferred to hospital spaces due to biomedicalization and the use of technologies, generating important challenges for healthcare systems. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the lack of unified criteria and principles for a dignified death in the hospital. This study corresponds to a narrative review using Higgins & Green's methodological framework as a reference. A systematized search was carried out with the question: What are the elements considered in the decision-making of hospital teams regarding access and use of life support technology and dying processes in adult critically ill patients? The searches conducted during October 2022 in MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, CINAHL, Biblioteca Virtual en Salud (BVS), Cochrane Library, and Scielo identified 1499 records for screening, and 148 were retrieved for full-text review. Eighty-four articles were included in the review, identifying seven categories. The evidence shows variability in decision-making associated with the clinical status of the patient, the criteria of the medical professional, added to structural elements of the health system and political-legal aspects. The literature recommends reflexive, dynamic, flexible, and individualized decision-making processes that consider the patient's preferences, clinical judgment, prognosis, and available resources. Communication, advance care planning, interdisciplinary discussions, external consultations, and the involvement of ethical committees are crucial throughout the process.