Naslov
Futile Treatment—A Review

Autori
Šarić, Lenko ; Prkić, Ivana ; Jukić, Marko

Izvornik
Journal of Bioethical Inquiry (1176-7529) 14 (2017), 3; 329-337

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
Medical futility ; Ethics ; Critical care ; Palliative care ; Quality of life

Sažetak
Abstract The main goal of intensive care medicine is helping patients survive acute threats to their lives, while preserving and restoring life quality. Because of medical advancements, it is now possible to sustain life to an extent that would previously have been difficult to imagine. However, the goals of medicine are not to preserve organ function or physiological activity but to treat and improve the health of a person as a whole. When dealing with medical futilities, physicians and other members of the care team should be aware of some ethical principles. Knowing these principles could make decision- making easier, especially in cases where legal guidelines are insufficient or lacking. Understanding of these principles can relieve the pressure that healthcare professionals feel when they have to deal with medical futility. Efforts should be made to promote an ethics of care, which means caring for patients even after further invasive treatment has been deemed to be futile. Treatments that improve patients’ comfort and minimize suffering of both patients and their families are equally as important as those aimed at saving patients’ lives

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Integrativna bioetika (prirodne, tehničke, biomedicina i zdravstvo, biotehničke, društvene, humanističke znanosti)

POVEZANOST RADA