Find updated evidence and practice guidance in the recently released 2024 Refractory Symptoms and Palliative Sedation Therapy (PST) Guideline for 2024. Access the guideline here for the online interactive version, and here for the printer-friendly version.
Highlights of changes for 2024:
- Guidance to clinicians to provide information about palliative sedation therapy as an option in advance care planning and goals of care conversations.
- Changes in the ‘Distinguishing between PST & MAiD’ table to reflect the new legislation.
- Decision-making guidance specific to rural communities and complex care environments, before initiating Palliative Sedation Therapy.
- Inclusion of scales for assessment of refractory symptoms.
- New links to Interior Health Authority and Island Health Authority palliative sedation patient education materials.
- Inclusion of more detailed guidance about initial palliative sedation therapy medication selection, dosing and when prescribing more than one sedating medication.
- Addition of Propofol medication for extraordinary cases when a person’s symptoms are refractory to other sedation medications, for use only by specialist palliative care physicians in hospital palliative care units.
Without the tremendous support of the expert reviewers, the revision would not be possible. Refractory Symptoms and PST Guideline reviewers and those who participated in the guideline revision are acknowledged in the Introduction document of the print versions.
