Commentary
Ethics roundtable debate: Withdrawal of tube feeding in a patient with persistent vegetative state where the patients wishes are unclear and there is family dissension
1 Chief of Service, Intensive Care Unit, Princess Margaret Hospital, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong
2 Associate Professor, Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
3 Attorney, Bartimus, Frickleton, Robertson and Obetz, Jefferson City, Missouri, USA
4 Clinical Professor, University of Sydney, Intensive Care Unit, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
5 Attending Intensivist, Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital of Saint Luc, Brussels, Belgium
6 Director, Patient and Visitor Relations/Patient Representative Program, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
7 PhD Candidate, Department of Health Care Ethics, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Critical Care 2004, 8:79-84 doi:10.1186/cc2451
Published: 6 February 2004Abstract
The decision to withdraw or withhold life supporting treatment in moribund patients is difficult under any circumstances. When the patient becomes incompetent to clarify their wishes regarding continued maintenance in long-term facilities, surrogates sometimes cannot agree, further clouding the issue. We examine a case where the State's interests come into play, forcing a controversial resolution.