Midazolam in Palliative Care Practice: Indications, Safety and Role in Palliative Sedation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/JEHS.2026.92.72568Keywords
midazolam, palliative sedation, palliative care, ethical aspectsAbstract
Background: Palliative medicine is a field of medical practice focused on improving the quality of life of patients by alleviating pain and other somatic and psychological symptoms in the advanced, incurable stage of disease. In cases of symptoms refractory to standard treatment, palliative sedation may be employed, defined as the controlled reduction or loss of consciousness through the use of sedative medications, most commonly benzodiazepines, including midazolam.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to present the current state of knowledge regarding the use of midazolam in palliative care, with particular emphasis on its role in palliative sedation and the associated ethical controversies.
Methods: This study is a review and was developed based on an analysis of the available literature concerning the pharmacological properties of midazolam, its clinical applications, and its safety profile in palliative care.
Conclusions: Due to its pharmacological properties, midazolam is widely used in palliative care and plays a key role in the relief of symptoms in patients at the end of life. Its use in palliative sedation enables an effective and ethically justified reduction of suffering in patients in the terminal stage of disease.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Maciej Stodulski, Marta Zdunek , Anna Bulicz , Izabela Kasprzycka , Monika Kukla , Olga Kowalczyk , Joanna Dziarnowska , Sebastian Kozłowski , Justyna Fiks, Izabela Kmiecik
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