Death In Clinical Practice Research Articles

Efficacy of postmortem CT and tissue sampling in establishing the cause of death in clinical practice: a prospective observational study

AimsThe aim of this study is to evaluate whether agreement with autopsy-determined cause of death (COD) increases by use of postmortem CT (PMCT) or PMCT in combination with postmortem sampling...

한의과대학에서 죽음학 교육 필요성에 대한 인식조사 및 교과목 설계

This article reports on a survey that was conducted on students and professors at a college of Korean medicine on attitudes toward death and the need for death education. Survey results show a high demand among participants for death education, including education about facing death in clinical practice as a medical professional. In light of the results of this survey, we propose a semester-long death education course and hope that this recommendation will be helpful for implementing and developing death education at medical schools of Korean medicine.

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators for primary and secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death in clinical practice: analysis of the clinical and anamnestic characteristics of patients according to the Kuzbass registry

Aim. To study clinical and anamnestic data of patients with implantable cardioverterdefibrillators (ICD) for primary or secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD) based on the data from the Kuzbass ICD registry.Methods. Retrospective analysis of demographic, clinical and anamnestic data from the “Kuzbass Registry of Patients with Implanted Cardioverter-Defibrillator”, which includes 286 patients admitted at the Kuzbass Cardiology Center in 2015–2019, was carried out.Results. The age of patients included in the registry was 59 (53; 66) years, 239 (83.6%) were men; all patients were diagnosed with heart failure. ICD for primary prevention of SCD was prescribed in 171 (63.6%) patients (group 1) and for secondary prevention in 98 (36.4%) patients (group 2). The groups were comparable in age, sex, main nosology (coronary artery disease), left ventricular ejection fraction (31.4 (26; 35) and 30 (10; 68)%, p = 0.389). Compared with the group 2, the group 1 had fewer working patients, higher incidence of heart defects, severe heart failure, higher incidence of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (68.7% versus 44.8%, p = 0.001), and higher rates of revascularization (48, 9% and 31.7%, respectively, p = 0.006). Before ICD implantation for heart failure, 210 (73.4%) patients were receiving renin angiotensin aldosterone system inhibitors, 259 (90.6%) – beta-blockers, 167 (58.4%) – mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. There were no differences in prescribed treatment between the groups. Only 137 (47.9%) patients, 86 (47.3%) patients in the group 1 and 51 (49.0%) patients in the group 2 received triple neurohormonal blockade. Remote monitoring was used only within the framework of research programs.Conclusion. The primary cohort of patients with ICD is the primary SCD prevention group. Regardless of the type of SCD prevention, the underlying disease is coronary artery disease. Current guidelines for optimal drug therapy and myocardial revascularization are not always followed prior to ICD implantation. The creation of registries of patients with ICD is an effective way to identify existing problems in ICD patient selection and to optimize follow-up and treatment.

Abstract 14643: Benefits and Risks of Single- vs. Dual- Chamber Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators for Primary Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death

Introduction: Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is the more effective and safer treatment for the primary prevention of sudden cardiac death. It remains unclear whether dual-chamber ICD offers the clinical benefits over single-chamber ICD without increasing complications. Hypothesis: The study aimed to evaluate the benefits and risks of dual-chamber ICD compared with single-chamber ICD for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death in clinical practice. Methods: Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database from January 2008 to December 2019, we include patients with primary prevention ICD and no documented indication for pacing. The propensity score matching method was used to balance covariates across single- and dual-chamber ICDs. Primary outcomes were all-cause mortality, hospitalization of heart failure, and hospitalization of cardiovascular cause. Results: Among 1,929 patients, 1,098 (56.9%) received a single-chamber ICD and 831 (43.1%) received a dual-chamber ICD. In 752 pairs of patients after propensity matching baseline characteristics were balanced between the 2 groups (median age 62 years; male 72%). Over a mean follow-up of 2.7±2.4 years, 1- and 5-year all-cause mortality (5.5% vs. 5.6%, P=0.910; 19.4% vs. 19.3%, P=0.948), 1- and 5-year hospitalization for cardiovascular cause (14.9% vs. 14.9%, P=1.000; 23.9% vs. 22.6%, P=0.542), and 1- and 5-year hospitalization for heart failure (10.8% vs. 8.6%, P=0.163; 16.8% vs. 14.0%, P=0.133) were similar in both groups. However, cardiac tamponade in the rates of device-related complications was 0.1% in the single-chamber ICD vs. 1.1% in dual-chamber ICD groups (P=0.013). Conclusions: In the real-world population receiving a primary prevention ICD, dual-chamber ICD was associated with higher rates of cardiac tamponade than single-chamber ICD. One and five-year rates of all-cause mortality and hospitalization did not differ significantly between the two groups.

The Catholic Medical Association Should Officially Oppose the Utilization of Neurologic Criteria to Determine Death in Clinical Practice.

The Catholic Medical Association Should Officially Oppose the Utilization of Neurologic Criteria to Determine Death in Clinical Practice.

Astrocyte Reprogramming in Stroke: Opportunities and Challenges.

Stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the early stages of stroke, irreversible damage to neurons leads to high mortality and disability rates in patients. However, there are still no effective prevention and treatment measures for the resulting massive neuronal death in clinical practice. Astrocyte reprogramming has recently attracted much attention as an avenue for increasing neurons in mice after cerebral ischemia. However, the field of astrocyte reprogramming has recently been mired in controversy due to reports questioning whether newborn neurons are derived from astrocyte transformation. To better understand the process and controversies of astrocyte reprogramming, this review introduces the method of astrocyte reprogramming and its application in stroke. By targeting key transcription factors or microRNAs, astrocytes in the mouse brain could be reprogrammed into functional neurons. Additionally, we summarize some of the current controversies over the lack of cell lineage tracing and single-cell sequencing experiments to provide evidence of gene expression profile changes throughout the process of astrocyte reprogramming. Finally, we present recent advances in cell lineage tracing and single-cell sequencing, suggesting that it is possible to characterize the entire process of astrocyte reprogramming by combining these techniques.

A qualitative study of phenomenology of perspectives of student nurses: experience of death in clinical practice

AimTo describe the experiences of student nurses in confronting the death of their patients, and to understand how they cope with these events and to what extent there are unmet needs that can be addressed in their trainings.MethodsSemi-structured interview method was used to collect data from Chinese nursing students and then Colaizzi’s seven-step analysis method was applied to identify recurrent themes in their responses to patient deaths. We listened the tape repeatedly combined with observations of their non-verbal behaviors, then transcribed them with emotional resonance, and entered them into Nvivo. After that, we extracted repeated and significant statements from the transcriptions, coded, then clustered codes into sub-themes and themes which were identified by the comparation with transcriptions and re-confirmation with our participants.ResultsAfter confirmation from the interviewees, five themes emerged: emotional experience, challenge, growth, coping and support.

Left ventricular non-compaction: Challenges in the etiopathogenesis and risk stratification of sudden cardiac death in clinical practice

Left ventricular non-compaction: Challenges in the etiopathogenesis and risk stratification of sudden cardiac death in clinical practice

Cardiovascular effectiveness of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists versus dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors in type 2 diabetes: A meta-analysis based on propensity score-matched studies

Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) are two novel classes of hypoglycemic agents. The relative cardiovascular effectiveness between these two drug classes in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is unestablished due to the absence of large cardiovascular outcome trials directly comparing DPP-4i with GLP-1RA. We aimed to incorporate large propensity score-matched cohort studies to conduct a meta-analysis, to determine the relative effectiveness of GLP-1RA versus DPP-4i on cardiovascular endpoints in T2D patients. Compared to DPP-4i, GLP-1RA was associated with the significantly lower risks of major adverse cardiovascular events [MACE] (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.63−0.92), cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.37−0.95), myocardial infarction (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.80−0.98), stroke (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.76−0.96), and all-cause mortality (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.42−0.96) in T2D patients; whereas these two drug classes had the similar risk of hospitalization for heart failure [HHF] (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.77–1.16). Meta-regression analyses showed that six factors (i.e., mean age, female proportion, cardiovascular disease proportion, heart failure proportion, and the proportions of receiving metformin and insulin at baseline) did not significantly affect the effects of GLP-1RA on MACE and HHF (P ≥ 0.076). This meta-analysis provides the direct evidence regarding the relative cardiovascular effectiveness of GLP-1RA versus DPP-4i from real-world studies, and its findings suggest that among T2D patients GLP-1RA should be considered in preference to DPP-4i as for preventing atherosclerotic cardiovascular events and death in clinical practice.

Experience of undergraduate midwifery students faced with perinatal death in clinical practice: A qualitative study

BackgroundStudent midwives often encounter perinatal loss including stillbirth and neonatal death as part of their clinical training. There has been limited research on how student midwives cope with perinatal death. ObjectiveTo explore the experiences of undergraduate midwifery students facing perinatal death during their internships. DesignQualitative research design based on interpretive phenomenological approach and COREQ-guided reporting. SettingTertiary maternal and child care center or general hospital. ParticipantsUndergraduate midwifery students from a medical university in Guangzhou, China. MethodsStudy participants were recruited through purposive sampling. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted between October 2020 and March 2021 with 12 midwifery students. Transcripts of the interviews were analyzed using Diekelmann's interpretive method. ResultsFour themes were identified from the data: unavoidable anxiety and avoidance response; overwhelming fear and taboos related to death; self-blame and emotional inhibition; and ethical conflict and reflection on practice. ConclusionsUndergraduate midwifery students believed they were ill-prepared to care for women who experienced perinatal loss, consciously endured their own negative emotions such as anxiety and fear, and hoped for improved bereavement and stillbirth care in future clinical practice. Students valued support from the bereavement midwife and identified effective strategies that would help them cope with their feelings. It is recommended that adequate education and emotional support be provided to midwifery students, who should be encouraged to provide appropriate care to grieving families.

OGDH is involved in sepsis induced acute lung injury through the MAPK pathway.

BackgroundAcute lung injury (ALI) induced by sepsis is a common cause of death in clinical practice, and there remains a lack of clinical effective treatment. Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) is a classic animal model of sepsis, which can induce ALI. Studies have shown that in the lung injury cell model, OGDH (oxoglutarate dehydrogenase) transcription is up-regulated, which is a potential therapeutic target for acute pneumonia. The purpose of this study was to confirm the effects of OGDH on lung injury and inflammation in animal and cell models, and to explore its mechanism.MethodsBy analyzing the GSE16650 gene set, the upregulated OGDH gene was detected in the lung injury cell model. In a sepsis animal model established by CLP and a lung injury cell model, RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, WB, and other techniques were used to verify the upregulation of OGDH expression, which was then was down-regulated with shRNA to confirm its relationship with ALI. Further, ELISA, RT-PCR, and WB were used to detect the effect of OGDH on the expression of pro-inflammatory factors including IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and TNF-α. The downstream pathway of OGDH was predicted using KEGG and GSEA tools and verified by WB and immunofluorescence.ResultsThe results showed OGDH was highly expressed in a lung injury cell model and the lung tissue of ALI mice induced by CLP, and downregulation of OGDH alleviated sepsis induced ALI. In animal models and cell models, the expression of OGDH was positively correlated with the expression of pro-inflammatory factors. OGDH may act through the MAPK pathway.ConclusionsUnder the pathological condition of sepsis, OGDH amplifies the inflammatory response through the MAPK pathway, releases pro-inflammatory factors, and induces ALI.

Ethical aspects of dying and death in clinical practice in anaesthesiology and intensive medicine departments

Abstract In clinical practice, modern medicine, especially intensive medicine, has made outstanding technological progress that has changed diagnostic and therapeutic paradigms. Nowadays, some patients for whom there were no treatments in the past not only survive but return to active life thanks to intensive medicine. However, in some cases intensive care will not help patients in a critical condition and merely prolong death. In such situations, the treatment is terminated or not extended, and the patient is allowed to die in dignity. In this specific situation all intensive procedures are terminated. Palliative care is the next stage. This is a sensitive issue that should be discussed with healthcare professionals and experts from other areas of life to ensure it is communicated appropriately to patients and their relatives.

RIP3-mediated necroptosis was essential for spiral ganglion neuron damage

To identify the role of RIP3 in ouabain-induced necroptosis and offer clinical implications to prevent spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) from death, ouabain was applied in SGNs derived from fetal rats and injected into Sprague–Dawley rats to construct injury model in vitro and in vivo, respectively. The necroptosis rate of SGNs was determined by flow cytometry and MTT assays. The protein levels and phosphorylation of RIP3 were evaluated using western blotting and immunofluorescence. SGNs injury was observed using H&E staining and immunofluorescence. The hearing function of rats was evaluated by the auditory brainstem response (ABR) and Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE) methods. Ouabain caused dose-dependent necroptosis in SGNs and significant loss of SGNs of the cochlear axis in vivo. RIP3 and pRIP3 were upregulated with SGNs injury promoted, and RIP3 overexpression promoted ouabain-induced necroptosis in SGNs in vitro, which could be suppressed by necrostatin-1. RIP3 knockdown inhibited ouabain-induced necroptosis and reduced the phosphorylation of MLKL but no RIP3-dependent effect on the level of MLKL. RIP3 inhibition in vivo protected rats from ouabain-induced hearing damage with reducing ABR threshold shifts and promoting DPOAE amplitudes, while overexpression of RIP3 enhanced ouabain-induced injury that could be partially reversed by necrostatin-1. A decrease of SGNs density and an upregulation of pRIP3 were observed with RIP3 overexpression, which was in contrast when RIP3 was silenced. Therefore, RIP3 was essential for mediating necroptosis in ouabain-induced SGNs damage. Targeting RIP3 may prevent SGNs from death in clinical practice, and finally help the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss.

Embodied good deaths and disembodied bad deaths: Undergraduate nursing students narratives of experience

BackgroundThe concept of “good and bad deaths” has been widely addressed in the literature. However, little is known of undergraduate nursing students' experiences with death in clinical practice or how they perceive good and bad deaths. ObjectiveTo explore undergraduate nursing students' personal and professional/clinical experiences of death and dying. DesignA qualitative narrative inquiry design. Setting and ParticipantsEighteen third year Bachelor of Nursing students participated in the study. MethodsData was collected through individual participant interviews and analysed using Clandinin and Connelly's three dimensions of narrative inquiry (temporality, sociality and place). ResultsA key finding of the study revealed that students' death experiences are shaped by the role of others, especially experienced nurses in clinical practice. Embodied good death experiences were influenced by the presence of nurses who guided students through the experience. Disembodied bad death experiences were influenced by undignified care, ritualistic post-mortem care and the physical coldness of the deceased and the environment. ConclusionNursing students need meaningful preparation to undertake end of life care in clinical practice, including post-mortem care and the possibility of bad deaths. End of life care education and end of life care simulation play a role in preparing students for end of life care in clinical practice. End of life care education needs to be commenced early in the undergraduate degree. Furthermore, nursing clinicians need to be aware of the impact that they have in shaping good and bad death experiences for undergraduate nursing students, the Registered Nurses of the future.

Changes in causes of death and influence of therapeutic improvement over time in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction.

In patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), several therapies have been proven to reduce mortality in clinical trials. However, there are few data on the effect of the use of evidence-based therapies on causes of death in clinical practice. This study included 2351 outpatients with HFrEF (< 40%) from 2 multicenter prospective registries: MUSIC (n=641, period: 2003-2004) and REDINSCOR I (n=1710, period: 2007-2011). Variables were recorded at inclusion and all patients were followed-up for 4 years. Causes of death were validated by an independent committee. Patients in REDINSCOR I more frequently received beta-blockers (85% vs 71%; P <.001), mineralocorticoid antagonists (64% vs 44%; P <.001), implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (19% vs 2%; P <.001), and resynchronization therapy (7.2% vs 4.8%; P=.04). In these patients, sudden cardiac death was less frequent than in those in MUSIC (6.8% vs 11.4%; P <.001). After propensity score matching, we obtained 2 comparable populations differing only in treatments (575 vs 575 patients). In patients in REDINSCOR I, we found a lower risk of total mortality (HR, 0.70; 95%CI, 0.57-0.87; P=.001) and sudden cardiac death (sHR, 0.46; 95%CI, 0.30-0.70; P <.001), and a trend toward lower mortality due to end-stage HF (sHR, 0.73; 95%CI, 0.53-1.01; P=.059), without differences in other causes of death (sHR, 1.17; 95%CI, 0.78-1.75; P=.445), regardless of functional class. In ambulatory patients with HFrEF, implementation of evidence-based therapies was associated with a lower risk of death, mainly due to a significant reduction in sudden cardiac death.

Cambio en la causa de muerte e influencia de la mejora terapéutica con el tiempo en pacientes con insuficiencia cardiaca y fracción de eyección reducida

Introduction and objectivesIn patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), several therapies have been proven to reduce mortality in clinical trials. However, there are few data on the effect of the use of evidence-based therapies on causes of death in clinical practice. MethodsThis study included 2351 outpatients with HFrEF (< 40%) from 2 multicenter prospective registries: MUSIC (n=641, period: 2003-2004) and REDINSCOR I (n=1710, period: 2007-2011). Variables were recorded at inclusion and all patients were followed-up for 4 years. Causes of death were validated by an independent committee. ResultsPatients in REDINSCOR I more frequently received beta-blockers (85% vs 71%; P <.001), mineralocorticoid antagonists (64% vs 44%; P <.001), implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (19% vs 2%; P <.001), and resynchronization therapy (7.2% vs 4.8%; P=.04). In these patients, sudden cardiac death was less frequent than in those in MUSIC (6.8% vs 11.4%; P <.001). After propensity score matching, we obtained 2 comparable populations differing only in treatments (575 vs 575 patients). In patients in REDINSCOR I, we found a lower risk of total mortality (HR, 0.70; 95%CI, 0.57-0.87; P=.001) and sudden cardiac death (sHR, 0.46; 95%CI, 0.30-0.70; P <.001), and a trend toward lower mortality due to end-stage HF (sHR, 0.73; 95%CI, 0.53-1.01; P=.059), without differences in other causes of death (sHR, 1.17; 95%CI, 0.78-1.75; P=.445), regardless of functional class. ConclusionsIn ambulatory patients with HFrEF, implementation of evidence-based therapies was associated with a lower risk of death, mainly due to a significant reduction in sudden cardiac death.

CN25 - Greek nursing students experience facing death in clinical practice

BackgroundThe real life experience in clinical arena can be challenging for student nurses, to cope with the patients’ suffering, to provide care, to communicate with them and their caregivers as death approaches .It is essential to understand student nurses’ feelings when confronted a dying patient, so that specific training, consultation and empowerment give them prior to their clinical placement. However, there has been little research in Greece on student nurses’ experience when facing care of patients and their caregivers in the last days of life.The purpose of this study was to explore undergraduate student nurse’s experience facing death and dying of a patient during their clinical practice. MethodsA qualitative, descriptive design was used. Qualitative data were collected in June 2018 from 4th -year nursing students’ of Nursing School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Experiences were collected through written reflections to obtain data about their experience when cared for a serious ill patient and when delivered their care to a dying patient and their caregivers. A content analysis of their comments was carried out. ResultsFrom 101 undergraduated nurses 42 answered in open-ended question “Please describe the death experience of a patient during your clinical practice”. The response rate was 41,6%.The average age of the students was 22.Nursing students’ comments revealed concerns on handling the family/caregivers of the dying patient, their willingness to care for body of the dying, expressing their emotions such as sadness, describing death experience using medical terminology and using their previous personal experiences and knowledge to handle with . Thus five categories were emerged, the concept of “family/caregivers issues” “participation in the care of the dying” “description of the event using medical terminology”, “expressing emotions positive or negative” and “referring to their previous experience and knowledge” respectively. ConclusionsStudy’s findings highlighted the influence of knowledge, personal attitudes and clinical stressors that student nurses faced in a clinical practice when they were training in palliative care. Legal entity responsible for the studyThe authors. FundingHas not received any funding. DisclosureAll authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Epidemiology of under-five mortality in İstanbul: changes from 1988 to 2011.

Understanding the causes of under-five deaths is key to realizing sustainable developmental goals. The aim of this descriptive study was to investigate the causes of under-five mortality in İstanbul during 2011 and compare the findings to those of 1988 and 2000. All burial records of İstanbul were evaluated, and cemetery records of 1494 children, who died at under five years of age and were buried in İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Cemeteries between 1 January and 31 December 2011, were analyzed. Several sociodemographic characteristics and causes of death were compared with the results of studies carried out in 1988 and 2000 in İstanbul with similar methods. Under-five mortality rate was lower in 2011 than in 1988 and 2000. Of all deaths, 58.8% had occurred in the neonatal period and most were in the first day of life, similarly to those of 1988 and 2000. The proportion of deaths in the age group of 1-4 years was found to be increasing. Prematurity and perinatal causes remained the main cause of death under five years of age in İstanbul during the 23-year period. Unknown causes, due to misclassification, were still seen in a relatively high proportion. Under-five mortality rate and death due to infectious diseases decreased in İstanbul from 1988 to 2011. Our findings showed a need for more emphasis on perinatal events and better evaluation of causes of death in clinical practice.

Testing Confounders in Brain Death Determination: A New Simulation Model.

Given the rarity of brain death in clinical practice, trainees may complete their training without ever performing a brain death exam. Little is known about the performance of trainees in the evaluation of brain death. The accuracy of brain death determination can be audited and improved through simulation models. A simulated brain death scenario was designed to incorporate numerous potential confounders. We utilized a SimMan 3G mannequin, registered nurse, simulation technician, and a facilitator. Critical care and neurology trainees were evaluated using a 24-point checklist based on the AAN guidelines. Trainees rated their confidence (5 point scale with 1=novice, 3=competent, and 5=fully confident) in the evaluation of brain death and apnea testing before and after completing the scenario. Following the simulation, trainees participated in debriefing sessions involving a review of the checklist and playback of simulation videos. Forty-one trainees completed the simulation. Trainees successfully completed 352/492 (71.5%) tasks pertaining to the evaluation of prerequisites and 262/369 (71.0%) tasks pertaining to the clinical examination. Trainee confidence in the evaluation of brain death (2.12±0.74 vs 3.29±0.62, p=0.0001) and apnea testing (2.10±0.74 vs 3.59±0.77, p=0.001) significantly improved. We successfully tested a new simulation model which emphasized training in crucial pitfalls. More than one in four trainees performed poorly in the evaluation of prerequisites and the clinical examination. Few trainees considered the possibility of drug or alcohol ingestion. Simulation training improved clinical performance and trainee confidence in the evaluation of brain death.

Experiencing patient death in clinical practice: Nurses’ recollections of their earliest memorable patient death

BackgroundDeath and dying are inevitable life encounters, but a nurse's first experience with patient death may pose considerable cognitive, emotional and clinical challenges. This paper reports the findings of the second phase of a study; the first has been reported elsewhere. This phase explored the earliest memorable patient death experiences of New Zealand registered nurses. MethodA purposeful, self-selected sub-sample of a larger study of New Zealand registered nurses, took part in individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was utilised to seek to understand participants’ experiences. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify emerging themes, with participants’ own words used as theme headings, where their phrases provided succinct or powerful descriptors. ResultsA diverse participant group of twenty, currently practising, New Zealand registered nurses provided rich and detailed descriptions of their earliest memorable experience with patient death. Participants from a variety of training backgrounds described patient deaths, which occurred in a range of settings – some only a few months prior, others – more than thirty years ago. Seven emergent themes, and features of more positive, or negative experiences were identified: Event Significance; Emotional Challenges; Sharing the Experience; Learning; Feeling Unprepared, Responses to Death and Finding Benefits. ConclusionFor participants in this study, there was considerable evidence that their earliest memorable patient death was a significant event. Furthermore, although most participants’ experiences were characterised by emphatic or poignant description, there was most often a balance of challenges and rewards.