# The central clinical relevance of near-death experiences in acute care contexts: identification, prediction, and management

## TL;DR

This paper highlights the importance of studying near-death experiences in acute care to improve patient outcomes and support.

## Contribution

The paper emphasizes the need for more comprehensive research on near-death experiences in emergency and critical care settings.

## Key findings

- NDEs may have significant psychological impacts requiring patient support.
- Identifying NDEs could improve clinical management and outcomes in acute care.
- Research on NDE incidence in critical care may reveal new clinical pathways.

## Abstract

Near-death experiences (NDEs), a syndrome of experiences with mystical-type content classically arising in the context of life-threatening situations, are under-researched in terms of their relevance for acute medical care. We here discuss several reasons to raise the importance of conducting more comprehensive NDE research in emergency and critical care contexts, including but not limited to near-death experiencers’ awareness of surroundings and the need for patient support given NDEs’ profound psychological impacts, and we suggest incorporating the identification of NDEs into management plans. Exploring NDE incidence and their subsequent impact in acute settings may unveil a pathway toward favorable outcomes within clinical practice.