title: Factors associated with decision-making about end-of-life care by hemodialysis patients.
abstract: The current cross sectional study is based on a questionnaire database on patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) to determine their preferences about end-of-life care and differences of certainty regarding the application of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and life sustaining measures in case of cardiac arrest. The study was performed on 100 patients on hemodialysis for at least 2 years and not on the transplant list in two tertiary hospitals in Saudi Arabia; King Fahad National Guard in Riyadh and King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Jeddah in March 2007. More than two thirds of the surveyed patients were willing to make decisive decisions. Having more than 5 children was the only factor significantly associated with the ability to make decisive decisions; there was an insignificant association with factors such as marital status or non-Saudi nationality. Factors such as self-perception or disease curability, previous admissions to hospital or intensive care units, prior knowledge of mechanical ventilation, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation did not have any influence on making certain decisions on end-of-life care. There was a significant lack of knowledge in our study patients of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, and disease outcome.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Departments, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. baharoon@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Salim A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Baharoon
authors.forename: Hamdan H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Al-Jahdali
authors.forename: Abdullah A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Al-Sayyari
authors.forename: Hani
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tamim
authors.forename: Yaser
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Babgi
authors.forename: Saeed M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Al-Ghamdi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation; D057240:Patient Preference; D011379:Prognosis; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care; D013997:Time Factors