Provision of end-of-life care in austere environments

Provision of end-of-life care in austere environments
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine; by Jason W. David, Hui Z. Feng, Danny Lammers, Russell Day; 6/25
End-of-life care presents unique challenges in austere or resource-limited environments where traditional medical resources are scarce or absent. This review explores the complexities of providing end-of-life care under such constraints, including recognition of the dying patient and techniques to alleviate suffering and allow death with dignity in under-resourced or expeditionary environments. Moreover, it presents these techniques in an accessible manner for providers without formal hospice training to use. Based on a literature review of hospice and palliative medicine, insights from the body of literature in wilderness and austere medicine, and the authors’ experiences in practicing in austere environments, this paper discusses practical approaches to symptom management, ethical considerations in end-of-life decision making, and accessible interventions with limited resources.
Publisher's note: An interesting article for all healthcare professionals to consider...