Impact of Junior Physicians’ Resignation on Palliative Sedation Practices: A Retrospective Single-Center Study in South Korea

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate changes in the proportion of patients receiving palliative sedation (PS) before and after the mass resignation of junior physicians in South Korea. Methods: This single-center retrospective chart review included patients who died between February 19, 2023 and August 18, 2024. We retrospectively identified patients who were prescribed sedatives such as midazolam outside the intensive care unit on the day of death and classified them as having received PS. Data were extracted from electronic medical records. Categorical variables were compared using the chi-square test, while continuous variables were compared using the Student's t-test. Results: In the year before resignation, 78 of the 745 deceased patients (10.5%) received PS; whereas in the subsequent six months, 24 of the 237 patients (10.1%) received PS. No statistically significant difference was observed in the proportion of patients receiving PS between the two periods. Conclusion: The proportion of patients receiving PS did not show a significant difference, despite the disruption caused by the mass resignation of junior physicians.