Primary care for the declining cancer survivor

Palliative sedation

Palliative sedation can manage intractable symptoms near the end of life. A recent systematic review suggests that palliative sedation does not shorten life.⁵⁷ Sedation is most often initiated by gradual increases in medication doses.⁵⁷ Midazolam is most often employed, but antipsychotics are also used.⁵⁷

CORRESPONDENCE
CDR Michael J. Arnold, MD, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4501 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814; michael.arnold@usuhs.edu.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Kristian Sanchack, MD, and James Higgins, DO, assisted in the preparation of this manuscript.