Patient Outcomes After Palliative Care Consultation Among Patients Undergoing Therapeutic Hypothermia

Objectives: To compare the clinical outcomes of patients who did and did not receive palliative care consultation among those who experienced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and underwent therapeutic hypothermia. Methods: We identified patients at a single academic medical center who had undergone therapeutic hypothermia after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest between 2009 and 2013. We performed a retrospective chart review for demographic data, hospital and critical care length of stay, and clinical outcomes of care. Results: We reviewed the charts of 62 patients, of which 35 (56%) received a palliative care consultation and 27 (44%) did not. Palliative care consultation occurred an average of 8.3 days after admission. Patients receiving palliative care consultation were more likely to have a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order placed (odds ratio: 2.3, P < .001). The mean length of stay in the hospital was similar for patients seen by palliative care or not (16.7 vs 17.1 days, P = .90). Intensive care length of stay was also similar (11.3 vs 12.6 days, P = .55). Conclusions: Palliative care consultation was underutilized and utilized late in this cohort. Palliative consultation was associated with DNR orders but did not affect measures of utilization such as hospital and intensive care length of stay.