Withdrawal of treatment in a critical care setting who decides?

Publication date: Available online 26 June 2018Source: International Journal of Nursing SciencesAuthor(s): Chunmei Lyu, Li ZhangAbstractCase descriptionWithdrawal of treatment is a common practice in critical care settings when treatment is considered futile. The case study demonstrates an ethical dilemma when Mr Danny unlikely makes a functional recovery due to multiple organ dysfunction syndromes. Under such circumstances, withdrawal of treatment will come to their minds. However, his families refused to do that. So, who should make the decision?Ethical dilemma identificationDanny decided to withdraw usefulness of life-supporting treatments, while his wife and adult children refused to do that. The ethical dilemma is identified as “withdrawal of treatment in a critical care setting who decides?”AnalysisTo better solving this case and making the best moral decision, this study will critically discuss this issue in association with ethical principles, philosophical theories and the European & Chinese nurses' code of ethics values statement, the associated literature relative with this case are analyzed before the decision making.Ethical decision makingAs described above, the best ethical decision is Danny can decide whether to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment. If his families are involved in discussion, medical staff need to balance the ethical principles when they make the decision and allocate reasonable resources for patients.ResultsIn Danny's case, healt...

Source: International Journal of Nursing Sciences - July 5, 2018 Category: Nursing Source Type: research