Medical Liability When Withholding Care 2

Here's Part 2 of an interesting piece discussing medical liability in issues surrounding withholding care. Part 1 is below.

Physician Liability: Withdrawing and Withholding Life Sustaining Care From a Conscious, Non Terminal, Incompetent Patients – Part II

There are different standards that must be appreciated and respected before a physician can support a decision to withdraw life sustaining treatment from a non terminal and incompetent patient.

This scenario requires the highest degree of protection for the patient. Our fundamental rights are the most important when we are the most vulnerable. Patients in this category are weak, often confused and subject to the effect of bias and undue influence. When illness requires life sustaining treatment family members may experience sympathy for the patient as well as opportunity to end their burden of caring for the patient. Some family members have said to others: "you have done so much, your life has been put on hold, how can we afford to pay for this care, etc. This can result in a request to withdraw or withhold artificial life support for what may be seen as being in every one's best interest. This often occurs in adult children caring for an elderly parent or spouse. more

Medical Liability When Withholding Care 1

This is a very interesting and informative piece on how the medicos look at legal liability in withholding care. Part II is above.

Withholding Life Sustaining Treatment: Letting the Conscious Non-Terminal, Incompetent, Patient Die: Hold On a Minute - Not So Fast - Part I

It is an injustice to cause patients to unnecessarily prolong the process of dying. Actual futile care must be avoided. But it is equally an injustice to easily acquiesce to patient’s demands that my result in unnecessary death.

On August 17, 2010 the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania decided a case involving a non-terminal, profoundly mentally retarded patient. The patient was conscious and non-terminal. David is 53 years old. David's parents were the guardians. more