The practice of palliative sedation in the Netherlands after the launch of the national guideline

Palliative sedation is a medical intervention aimed at relieving intractable suff ering by inducing decreased awareness of symptoms. It is typically considered a palliative option for patients suff ering unbearably in the last days of life. The estimated frequency of palliative sedation varies considerably in scientifi c literature, partly due to diff erences in defi nition and research setting and diff erences in terminology. Whereas in the English medical scientifi c literature the fi rst descriptions of palliative sedation referred to ‘terminal sedation’, in Dutch medical literature palliat... Mehr ...