Early palliative care referral for ILD lowers risk of dying in hospital

Patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) who had early referral to palliative care had a lower risk for hospitalization and a lower risk of dying in a hospital, according to a study.

In this single-center retrospective observational study, 51 patients with ILD who presented at a respiratory department of a hospital were analyzed for hospital admissions, emergency department visits, and place of death in the last year of life. Overall, 45% of patients had early palliative care referral, which was independently associated with a lower risk of hospital admissions in the last year of life and a lower risk of dying in hospital.

Reference
Rodrigo-Troyano A, Alonso A, Barril S, et al. Impact of Early Referral to Palliative Care in Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease. J Palliat Med. 2022;doi: 10.1089/jpm.2021.0458. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35714348.