Ethics Consultations in the Hospital

I have just returned from providing an ethics consultation involving one of the situations clinicians hope never to face. A full-term male infant, otherwise healthy, was born with a gastroschisis. Laparotomy on the second day of life revealed no more than 10 cm of functioning intestine. Should total...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe New England journal of medicine Vol. 311; no. 15; pp. 983 - 986
Main Author Purtilo, Ruth B
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Massachusetts Medical Society 11.10.1984
Subjects
Committees
Consultants
Decision Making
Ethics
Ethics, Medical
Euthanasia, Passive
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Institutional Practice - standards
Life Support Care - standards
Male
Medical ethics
Medical Staff Privileges
Physicians
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Summary:I have just returned from providing an ethics consultation involving one of the situations clinicians hope never to face. A full-term male infant, otherwise healthy, was born with a gastroschisis. Laparotomy on the second day of life revealed no more than 10 cm of functioning intestine. Should total parenteral nutrition be initiated, given the necessity of life-long intervention and the high uncertainty of outcome? Of the many problems facing the clinicians, none weighed more heavily than the ethical aspects of their clinical decision. The attending physicians, residents, and I spent three hours sorting out the ethical issues. Now they must . . .
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0028-4793
1533-4406
DOI:10.1056/NEJM198410113111511