[Management of palliative care patients facing emergencies in the community]

With an aging population, an increasing prevalence of chronic illnesses, and rising cancer cases, palliative emergencies in the community are becoming an ever-growing challenge. These situations generate new care needs, calling for general palliative care competencies among first-line healthcare providers and strong collaboration between the various actors involved in community-based care. But what exactly is a "palliative emergency"? Who intervenes, and how? Is it possible, even in the urgency of such situations, to foster patient autonomy and respect their care preferences? This article explores these questions and calls for a reexamination of community healthcare networks to better address the population's palliative care needs.