Staff attitudes towards continuation of life-support in newborns with major congenital anomalies.
This study was conducted to gain insight into the attitudes of medical staff towards life-support of newborns with life-threatening problems, seen against the background of these children's expected morbidity and quality of life. The opinions about the mode of life-support were determined by questionnaires and the demographic characteristics of the respondents were noted. Each patient's risk of mortality was scored by means of the standardized Paediatric Risk of Mortality Score (PRISM). Attitudes towards support were unanimous for 39 of the 46 patients. For the other 7 patients at least one of the respondents preferred a different support mode than that given at the time. The attitudes were influenced by the patient's risk of mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
Decisions about life-support of newborns with life-threatening problems should include all the disciplines involved in patient care and should be made at an early stage.
Hazebroek
F W
FW
Department of Paediatric Surgery, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Smeets
R M
RM
Bos
A P
AP
Ouwens
C
C
Tibboel
D
D
Molenaar
J C
JC
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000628:therapy*; D003657:Decision Making; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal; D008020:Life Support Care; D009426:Netherlands; D011379:Prognosis