title: Physician attitudes in Romania toward withholding and withdrawal of intensive care for infants with very poor prognosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of Romanian physicians toward withholding and withdrawing intensive care for infants whose prognosis is very poor.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey tool was developed by the authors and completed by participants in the annual meeting of the Neonatology Association of Romania.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of respondents attempt resuscitation of all live-born infants, have never stopped resuscitation at birth while the infant was still alive, and have never stopped respiratory support because of poor prognosis. Nearly all respondents were uncomfortable talking with parents about withholding or withdrawing intensive care, and they were also uncomfortable talking to the parents about the death of their infant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Romanian physicians are uniformly reluctant to withhold or withdraw intensive care for infants, even those with very poor prognosis. In addition, physicians are very uncomfortable talking with parents about limiting or stopping support and talking about the death of an infant. Educational programs targeting the communication of difficult topics with parents have the potential to decrease the discomfort experienced by physicians in conversing with parents about their child's poor prognosis or death.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
authors: Edward F
authors: EF
authors: Bell
authors: Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Neonatology, Cuza-Voda Maternity Hospital, Iaşi, Romania.
authors: Anca Roxana
authors: AR
authors: Bivoleanu
authors: Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Neonatology, Cuza-Voda Maternity Hospital, Iaşi, Romania.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Stamatin
authors: Department of Neonatology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucureşti, Romania.
authors: Silvia-Maria
authors: SM
authors: Stoicescu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001293:Attitude to Death; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal; D008020:Life Support Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009359:Neonatology / Q000941:ethics; D010290:Parents; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011379:Prognosis; D012151:Resuscitation; D012383:Romania; D028761:Withholding Treatment / Q000941:ethics; D055815:Young Adult