When life-sustaining treatment is withdrawn and the patient doesn't die. Pediatrics 2013 Nov;132(5):893-7
Date
10/09/2013Pubmed ID
24101767DOI
10.1542/peds.2013-0413Scopus ID
2-s2.0-84887048120 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 15 CitationsAbstract
One of the most difficult decisions that doctors and parents must make is the decision to withdraw life-sustaining treatment. Doctors find it easier to withdraw treatments in situations where withdrawal will be rapidly fatal rather than in situations in which treatment withdrawal will lead to a prolonged dying process. Mechanical ventilation is usually such a treatment. Withdrawal of ventilation generally leads to the patient's rapid demise. Doctors may tell parents that death will occur quickly after a ventilator is withdrawn. But what happens when the doctors are wrong and a patient survives without life support? What should doctors do next? We present a case in which that happened and asked 3 experts to comment on the case. Stefan Kutzsche is a senior consultant in neonatology at Oslo University Hospital Ulleval in Norway. John Colin Partridge is a neonatologist and professor of pediatrics at University of California, San Francisco. Steven R. Leuthner is a neonatologist and professor of pediatrics and bioethics at the Medical College of Wisconsin. They each recommend slightly different approaches to this dilemma.
Author List
Kutzsche S, Partridge JC, Leuthner SR, Lantos JDAuthor
Steven R. Leuthner MD Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Fatal OutcomeFetal Growth Retardation
Humans
Infant
Infant, Extremely Premature
Life Support Care
Male
Palliative Care
Respiration, Artificial
Time Factors
Withholding Treatment
