Are we allowed to discontinue medical treatment in this child?
case_report · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 25647670.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1542/peds.2014-0548.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
One of the most difficult ethical dilemmas in pediatrics today arises when a child has complex chronic conditions that are not curable and cause discomfort with no prospect of any improvement on quality of life. In the context of medical futility, it is harmful to prolong medical treatment. The question is: How can medical treatment be discontinued when the child is not dependent on mechanical ventilation or ICU treatment? What is the appropriate palliative care and does it justify the use of sedatives or analgesics if this also might shorten life?
Medical subject headings
- Analgesics
- Ethics, Medical
- Euthanasia, Passive
- Hypnotics and Sedatives
- Intensive Care Units
- Medical Futility
- Palliative Care