Terminal extubation

Palliative care specialist Christian Sinclair explains some misconceptions:

There are times when extubating a patient can cause more distress – an obstructed airway, a high risk for hemorrhagic bleed, inability to control tachypnea with medications, feel free to add others. But in my palliative care reading and experience, leaving a patient intubated is the exception, and not the rule.

Related posts:

1. Defensive medicine in the ER
2. EPO controversy
3. Palliative medicine as the villain?
4. 250-yard rule
5. Wikipedia and palliative care
6. The impact of palliative care on patients and their families
7. Are hospice doctors relying too much on symptom scores to assess pain?

  Follow on Twitter   Subscribe

Tagged as: patient, specialist