Requests for somatic support after neurologic death determination: Canadian physician experiences.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Neurologic determination of death (NDD) is legally accepted as death in Canada but remains susceptible to misunderstandings. In some cases, families request continued organ support after NDD. Conflicts can escalate to formal legal challenges, causing emotional, financial, and moral distress for all involved. We describe prevalence, characteristics, and common experiences with requests for continued organ support following NDD in Canada.

Methods

Mixed-methods design combining anonymous online survey with semi-structured interviews of Canadian critical care physicians (448 practitioners, adult and pediatric).

Results

One hundred and six physicians responded to the survey and 12 participated in an interview. Fifty-two percent (55/106) of respondents had encounter

SUBMITTER: van Beinum A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7654566 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature