Application of the association for children's palliative care (ACT) criteria at a pediatric reference institution in the Colombian Caribbean

Abstract

Objective To assess the existence of a population susceptible to pediatric palliative care using the classification of the Association for Children's Palliative Care (ACT). Materials and Methods Descriptive, retrospective study. The data included in clinical records of the pediatric population aged 0-18 years and attended at the Hospital Infantil Napoleón Franco Pareja in the city of Cartagena, Colombia, were reviewed. Results 2 718 patients were included and classified according to ACT groups in group I with 462 patients; group II with 61 patients; group III with 29 patients; and group IV with 1 195, representing 4.5% of the total population attended by the institution Conclusions The study found a population susceptible to pediatric palliative care, which requires establishing measures to complement and provide comprehensive care.