title: A morbid reason for consent.
abstract: We report the case of a recently bereaved elderly lady admitted on the acute surgical take who gave consent for emergency surgery in the hope of dying intraoperatively. To her dismay she survived and, thereafter, refused all food and medical intervention leading to her death 15 days later. This case highlights concerns regarding both the process of consent following emergency admission and failure to identify a vulnerable patient's wishes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Medicine, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, Devon, UK.
authors.forename: Fay
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Murray-Brown
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: Llion
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Davies
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001601:Bereavement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000523:psychology*; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Bereavement; Clinical assessment; Clinical decisions; Communication