ICU sedation, delirium & recovery
Wireless patches for continuous vital sign monitoring, symptoms and medication at the end-of-life in the palliative care unit: A prospective observational study
Authors' conclusion
Continuous vital sign monitoring in palliative care using VitalPatches is feasible and depicts vital sign changes at the end-of-life. A positive correlation of HR with pain was detected.
Study context
- Population
- Adult terminal care patients in the palliative care unit at a tertiary-care hospital (05/2023–03/2024)90% with cancer
- Participants
- 30 patients
- Outcome
- Feasibility of a wireless device (VitalPatches) for continuous vital sign monitoring (HR, respiratory rate, temperature) at the end-of-life
Methodological detailssingle tertiary-care hospital palliative care unit
- Single tertiary-care hospital palliative care unit
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
HR change vs three days prior to death
Median patch duration (h, IQR 35-153)
88
HR increase at −2 days (bpm), p < 0.001
3.70
HR increase at −1 day (bpm), p < 0.001
7.64
HR increase on day of death (bpm), p < 0.001
12.26
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Symptom load · until death
- Symptom load increased until death, weakness and impaired vigilance prominent (p = 0.004)
Opioid use, patch start to end
- Opioid use rose from 80 to 100% (p = 0.010)
Benzodiazepine use, patch start to end
- Benzodiazepine use rose from 50 to 80% (p = 0.015)
Correlation of pain with HR
- R (p < 0.001)
- 0.32
HR increase and imminent death
- 5 bpm HR increase over previous 24 h associated with death within following 24 h
Original publication
Wireless patches for continuous vital sign monitoring, symptoms and medication at the end-of-life in the palliative care unit: A prospective observational study. J Clin Monit Comput. Published 19 August 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →