Concept tag
#end-of-life
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At three in the morning, does a first cause comfort anyone?
I work nights in intensive care in Uppsala. A few weeks ago, while his father was dying, a man asked me whether I thought there was a reason for everything. He didn't want an argument, I think. He wanted to know if…
Started by Elin Lindqvist5 replies217 views -
Who speaks for a patient who cannot? Advance directives, surrogates and the family at three in the morning
I'm an intensive care nurse in Uppsala. Most of the people I care for can't speak for themselves when it matters most: sedated, ventilated, confused. Decisions get made about them anyway, and I've watched how. The textbook gives us two standards. Substituted…
Started by Elin Lindqvist5 replies130 views -
Doing harm and allowing harm differ morally, even when the outcome is the same
I'm an internist in Cairo, and the distinction between doing and allowing is part of my working day. Withdrawing a ventilator from a patient with no prospect of recovery is treated very differently from giving a lethal injection, by law, by most…
Started by Omar Farouk5 replies261 views