Respiratory support withdrawal in intensive care units: families, physicians and nurses views on two hypothetical clinical scenarios.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Evidence suggests that dying patients' physical and emotional suffering is inadequately treated in intensive care units. Although there are recommendations regarding decisions to forgo life-sustaining therapy, deciding on withdrawal of life support is difficult, and it is also difficult to decide who should participate in this decision.

Methods

We distributed a self-administered questionnaire in 13 adult intensive care units (ICUs) assessing the attitudes of physicians and nurses regarding end-of-life decisions. Family members from a medical-surgical ICU in a tertiary cancer hospital were also invited to participate. Questions were related to two hypothetical clinical scenarios, one with a competent patient and the other with an incompetent patient, asking wheth

SUBMITTER: Fumis RR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3220008 | biostudies-literature | 2010

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature