End-of-Life Care in Pediatrics Ethics, Controversies, and Optimizing the Quality of Death

Hospitalized children constitute most annual pediatric deaths in the United States. The details of "how-to" provide end-of-life (EOL) care are not consistently taught to staff and therefore the actual delivery of EOL care is often inconsistent and invariably negatively associated with the long-term mental health of both the patient's family and care providers. This review describes the pertinent aspects of end-of-life care in pediatrics. Finally, a framework to optimize the quality of death is described, which underscores the importance of synchrony between the care team and the family at the end of a child's life.