Neonatal end-of-life decisions and ethical perspectives

Ethical problems in end-of-life decisions for elderly Norwegians.

Norwegian health professionals, elderly people and family members experience ethical problems involving end-of-life decision making for elders in the context of the values of Norwegian society. This study used ethical inquiry and qualitative methodology to conduct and analyze interviews carried out with 25 health professionals, six elderly people and five family members about the ethical proble...

Parents and end of life decisions in neonatal practice.

Many factors over the course of time have influenced the way parents react to the death of their baby, including a less private attitude towards bereavement, unrealistic expectations of survival, perhaps an erosion of spirituality, and more recently mistrust of the medical profession. In this issue of the journal, the results of a survey carried out in three neonatal referral centres in Scotlan...

Chinese seniors' perspectives on end-of-life decisions.

Making end-of-life decisions is a painful and difficult process; one that can be intensified by cultural differences between physicians and their patients. The objective of this study was to examine attitudes of Chinese seniors towards end-of-life decisions. We conducted a qualitative survey in a Chinese community centre in Toronto, Canada. Face-to-face interviews, in Cantonese, were conducted ...

End-of-life decisions.

End-of-Life Decisions about Withholding or Withdrawing Therapy: Medical, Ethical, and Religio-Cultural Considerations

Towards the end of life, physicians face dilemmas of discontinuing life-sustaining treatments or interventions. In some circumstances, these treatments are no longer of benefit, while in others the patient or family no longer want them. The physician plays an essential role in clarifying the goals of medical treatment, defining the care plan, initiating discussions about life-sustaining therapy...