Background Palliative care is highly relevant to acute care surgery due to the patient populations and severity of illness. Efforts to routinely incorporate palliative care principles in the practice of acute care surgery by the primary surgical team may benefit patients and their families. Methods We present a narrative review of the literature examining the current state of incorporation of primary palliative care in acute care surgery, including basic principles and strategies, evolving approaches, limitations, and opportunities for growth. Results Implementation begins with early identification of patients who may benefit from primary palliative care. Primary palliative interventions may include medical symptom management, patient and caregiver support, and use of frameworks for communication in the setting of severe illness. Significant barriers to primary palliative care practice exist, including institutional differences in approaches to primary palliative care, socioeconomic and cultural factors, and varying patient and clinician perspectives about the role of primary palliative care. Over the last few decades, there has been increased awareness of a role for primary palliative care in acute care surgery, leading to recent advances in quality, education, and advocacy. Conclusions Despite the known benefits of primary palliative care, it is still underutilized in acute care surgical patients. Shifting attitudes toward primary palliative care are helping to increase its use in surgical settings as well as promote education for surgical trainees. However, it is important to recognize the many opportunities for improvement of primary palliative care incorporation in acute care surgery.
