One patient received terminal sedation, but treatment for depression was stopped in the other 18 patients because of the development of terminal delirium.
Three patients believed that the gel caused sedation; no troubles with skin irritation or muscle spasms were reported.
No legislation has addressed questions of withholding or withdrawing treatment, terminal sedation, or voluntary active euthanasia.
Recognition of the separate need for sedation, separate from narcotic, to treat agitation maximizes pain therapy, and physiologic recovery.
Chloral hydrate (30-70 mg/kg) was used for sedation when necessary.
The technique also carries the disadvantages of requiring sedation and transport to the scanner, although imaging is often done to delineate the cardiovascular anatomy anyway.
Sedation without agitated delirium was not considered a reason for another opioid rotation in this group of terminally ill patients.
Further investigation of the use of sedation and analgesia for dying infants is needed.
