Comments on: End-of-life (waste of) care http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/11/end-of-life-waste-of-care.html Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:18:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/11/end-of-life-waste-of-care.html#comment-68916 Anonymous Sun, 19 Nov 2006 05:03:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/11/end-of-life-waste-of-care.html#comment-68916 Intubated a 92 year old man with metastatic cancer today; he died a few hours later. The tumor was stage 4 at diagnosis in 2004.<br/><br/>No one had ever talked to him or his family about code status (the family said).<br/><br/>As long as the default choice is "full code" we will continue to have these sorts of problems. No where else are doctors and hospitals required to give futile care - why do we not only allow but actually require this in cases where it is inappropriate and cruel? Intubated a 92 year old man with metastatic cancer today; he died a few hours later. The tumor was stage 4 at diagnosis in 2004.

No one had ever talked to him or his family about code status (the family said).

As long as the default choice is “full code” we will continue to have these sorts of problems. No where else are doctors and hospitals required to give futile care – why do we not only allow but actually require this in cases where it is inappropriate and cruel?

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/11/end-of-life-waste-of-care.html#comment-68891 Anonymous Sat, 18 Nov 2006 03:17:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/11/end-of-life-waste-of-care.html#comment-68891 Duh! Duh!

]]> By: Vicki Smallhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/11/end-of-life-waste-of-care.html#comment-68866 Vicki Small Fri, 17 Nov 2006 03:31:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/11/end-of-life-waste-of-care.html#comment-68866 My mother's late ex-husband received a pacemaker at the age of 91. Why? The last I heard, the death rate among humans was hanging in at 100%; the only questions are how, and when. My husband and I have executed legal documents stating our wishes for palliative care, when the time comes. My mother’s late ex-husband received a pacemaker at the age of 91. Why? The last I heard, the death rate among humans was hanging in at 100%; the only questions are how, and when. My husband and I have executed legal documents stating our wishes for palliative care, when the time comes.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/11/end-of-life-waste-of-care.html#comment-68858 Anonymous Thu, 16 Nov 2006 22:42:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/11/end-of-life-waste-of-care.html#comment-68858 Couldn't agree more. My feeling has always been, we torture them and then they die anyway. Couldn’t agree more. My feeling has always been, we torture them and then they die anyway.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/11/end-of-life-waste-of-care.html#comment-68855 Anonymous Thu, 16 Nov 2006 21:23:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/11/end-of-life-waste-of-care.html#comment-68855 Absolutely. We wouldn't have to torture living corpses either Absolutely. We wouldn’t have to torture living corpses either

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