Withdrawing life-sustaining treatment: ethical considerations.
Withdrawing life-supporting technology from patients who are irremediably ill is morally troubling for caregivers, patients, and families. Interventions that enable clinicians to delay death create situations in which the dignity and comfort of dying patients may be sacrificed to spare professionals and families from their elemental fear of death. Understanding of the limits of treatment, expertise in palliation of symptoms, skillful communication, and careful orchestration of controllable events can help to manage the withdrawal of life support appropriately.
Reynolds
Sharon
S
Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto, 88 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L4, Canada. sharon.reynolds@utoronto.ca
Cooper
Andrew B
AB
McKneally
Martin
M
D001315:Australia; D026688:Bioethical Issues; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000941:ethics; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003657:Decision Making / Q000941:ethics*; D026690:Ethics, Clinical; D005060:Europe; D005065:Euthanasia / Q000941:ethics*; D028601:Euthanasia, Active / Q000941:ethics; D005066:Euthanasia, Passive / Q000941:ethics; D006801:Humans; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000941:ethics*; D018447:Medical Futility / Q000941:ethics*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000941:ethics* / Q000592:standards; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011368:Professional-Family Relations / Q000941:ethics*; D011379:Prognosis; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000941:ethics* / Q000592:standards; D035501:Uncertainty; D014481:United States; D028761:Withholding Treatment / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence