Tuesday, August 29, 2006
The fear of stopping futile dialysis
Lawsuits and misconceptions on futile care are reasons:"The renal-care team has the right to refuse to offer dialysis when the expected benefits do not justify the risks," Dr. Moss said. At his home institution, Dr. Moss is taking a more hard-line approach, saying no to families who request what he believes is inappropriate dialysis. At other times, he offers the dialysis, but if the patient doesn't improve, it is stopped.
So far he has not been sued, he said, citing thoughtful discussions he has had with family members about what dialysis can and cannot achieve.
But the fear of lawsuits continues to worry many nephrologists who believe that it is safer to provide dialysis. And there remains that old American unwillingness to let people die, even when it is surely their time.
Dr. Valeri, of Columbia, knows this feeling well. If he suggests to relatives that dialysis be withheld for a gravely ill family member, they confuse it with euthanasia. "They think you are just another Kevorkian," he said.
Posted by Kevin |
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Comments:
You can't win. I had the son of a patient come to the hospital witha gun looking for me when his father died DESPITE receiving inappropriate dialysis. He's tried to sue me and the staff despite EVERYTHING being done. I love being sued by a man whoi comes to the hospital ith a gun looking for me. Even the lawyers won't take this case howver.
# posted by 
: 11:01 AM
: 11:01 AM
That's crazy man...you should have provoked him into shooting you, then you could sue him and you would have a good case...you could have said something like "I'm glad your father died of hyperkalemia and met. acidosis" or somehting along those lines...he would shoot you, then you could sue him in civil court, no only that but he would likely go to jail.
This is all assuming that he shoots you in the leg and not some vital organ..
This is all assuming that he shoots you in the leg and not some vital organ..
# posted by : 4:46 PM
: 4:46 PM
msojwcuWe used to talk about "taking one for the team" in my crazy hospita, ie letting a patiet attack you so you'd have one less crazy in your midst. Then one of the ER docs had her shoulder dislocted by a patient, needed surgery, and the cops wouldn't do anything: The patient "was drunk what do you expect?"
# posted by : 8:49 PM
: 8:49 PM
It is constantly befuddling how family members will flog and torture their loved ones in their last suffering decrepid days.
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# posted by : 10:00 PM
: 10:00 PM
