title: Recognizing/accepting futility: prehospital, emergency center, operating room, and intensive care unit.
abstract: Trauma has been perceived by the public as occurring as an isolated event, always resulting in favorable outcomes. There has therefore been a lack of discussion of futility of care and termination of care when dealing with the sick trauma patient. Several stages exist where issues of futility and early termination of care must be considered. These include the prehospital setting and involve the emergency medical service system in recognizing those patients who are nonsurvivors. Next is in the emergency room, where heroic measures may not benefit the very sick patient. In the operating room, the surgeon must always reassess and recognize when massive resuscitation will not benefit a particular trauma patient. Lastly, the intensivist must recognize those patients who may or may not benefit from continued efforts to sustain life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, CA 92103-8996, USA. rcoimbra@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Coimbra
authors.forename: Jeanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Vishal
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bansal
authors.forename: Peggy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hollingsworth-Fridlund
mesh_terms: D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods; D004630:Emergencies; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000379:methods; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000379:methods; D018447:Medical Futility; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D009873:Operating Rooms; D018579:Patient Selection; D010819:Physician's Role; D012151:Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods; D014194:Traumatology / Q000379:methods*; D014218:Triage / Q000379:methods*; D028761:Withholding Treatment