Neuroanesthesia & neurocritical care
Treatment‐Limiting Decisions in Neurointensive Care: Withholding or Withdrawal of Life‐Sustaining Measures
Authors' conclusion
In this study, TLDs were made in one out of four neuro-ICU patients. Furthermore, neurocritically ill patients subjected to withholding treatment had markedly higher survival than those subjected to withdrawal.
Study context
- Population
- Adult (≥ 18 years) neurocritically ill patients admitted to the neurointensive care unit (neuro-ICU), Rigshospitalet, Denmark, for a primary CNS injury, July 2019 to February 2022
- Participants
- 694 eligible patients
- Exposure
- Withholding vs withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment vs full treatment
- Withholdingn = 50
- Withdrawaln = 124
- Outcome
- All-cause mortality (Cox proportional-hazards model; mean restricted survival time)
- Follow-up
- 30 days
Methodological detailsobservational, single-centre
- Observational
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
30-day case fatality ratio and mean restricted survival time
| Group | Value | Mean restricted survival time at 30 days |
|---|---|---|
| Withholding | 32% | 24 days (95% CI, 21-27) |
| Withdrawal | 98% | 10.0 days (8.2-12) |
| Full treatment | 8.1% | 29 days (28, 29) |
Value
Withholding32%
Withdrawal98%
Full treatment8.1%
Mean restricted survival time at 30 days
Withholding24 days (95% CI, 21-27)
Withdrawal10.0 days (8.2-12)
Full treatment29 days (28, 29)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Proportion of patients with a decision to withhold or withdraw treatment
- Decision to withhold treatment
- 50 (7.2%)
- Decision to withdraw treatment
- 124 (17.9%)
- Of 694 eligible patients
Patient characteristics
- Withholding: older, higher Charlson Comorbidity Index
- Withdrawal: lower Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), higher APACHE II score
Original publication
Treatment‐Limiting Decisions in Neurointensive Care: Withholding or Withdrawal of Life‐Sustaining Measures. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. Published 22 February 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →