Trolling for Dr. Bruce, trolling for Dr. Bruce...

[dtuuri]

There's more beer in the fridge. Last one to leave turn out the lights. G'night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCp_jTXq_do​

dtuuri

 

[Gary F]

I agree that quality of life is much more important than quantity, but what about the value of a life towards society re: resource consumed vs benefit provided?

It's not my job to decide who is worth saving. Patients and or family members often push for futile care.

Amen, to that. Lots of people are being kept alive that puts a burden on our society. Sure would be nice to pick and chose who is worthy.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but who can decide such things. A panel of my peers? People don't have a real good track record for deciding such things. Maybe this is why they are gathering data on all of us?

Experienced physicians can decide who is salvageable and who is not but we generally go along with what the patient and family want.

We do, anyone with the money to be kept alive is worthy until such time it is no longer profitable to keep them alive. We have a system, it's just a ****ed up system.

I could care less about who has money and who doesn't but I hate to see patients put through a prolonged and difficult hospitalization knowing they will not have a good quality of life even if they survive.

 

[Henning]

I could care less about who has money and who doesn't but I hate to see patients put through a prolonged and difficult hospitalization knowing they will not have a good quality of life even if they survive.

Are you saying the hospital you work for will do whatever the family asks to keep the person alive regardless ability to pay?

 

[Gary F]

Are you saying the hospital you work for will do whatever the family asks to keep the person alive regardless ability to pay?

Yes. We must get explicit permission from the patient (or family if the patient is unable to make decisions) to write a DNR order or to limit treatment to comfort measures. Since the large majority of these patients have Medicare as insurance the taxpayers pick up the bill. We must continue treatment even if they have no insurance. Physicians can't just pull the plug without a court order.

 

[Everskyward]

It's not my job to decide who is worth saving. Patients and or family members often push for futile care.

Experienced physicians can decide who is salvageable and who is not but we generally go along with what the patient and family want.

I could care less about who has money and who doesn't but I hate to see patients put through a prolonged and difficult hospitalization knowing they will not have a good quality of life even if they survive.

In many of these cases it is mostly the family being selfish and unable to let the person go. On the other hand there is also societal pressure not to"give up".

 

[Gary F]

In many of these cases it is mostly the family being selfish and unable to let the person go. On the other hand there is also societal pressure not to"give up".

And in many cases physicians get credit for all the work they perform, futile or not. It can be hard for patients, family members and physicians to give up. I remember a husband sitting at the side of his dying wife of 60 years. He could not bring himself to agree to comfort measures or even DNR. She eventually had a cardiac arrest and he was allowed to be in the room when we were engaged in futile efforts to save her. Her inevitable death would have been more peaceful, dignified and less uncomfortable if he had allowed us to write the DNR order.