Life-sustaining medical devices at the end of life

McKenna, Maria, Wrightson, Neil, Regnard, Claud and Clark, Stephen (2013) Life-sustaining medical devices at the end of life. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, 3 (1). pp. 5-7. ISSN 2045-435X

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Abstract

Decision making around discontinuation of life-sustaining medical devices (LSMDs) at the end of life, is likely to become an increasingly common scenario within hospitals and hospices, as medical advances continue within an ageing population. Optimal end of life care planning should include practical considerations with regard to the device itself, as well as the emotional and legal decisions common to such situations. Within a cardiothoracic tertiary centre, our hospital specialist palliative care team was involved in the withdrawal of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), in a complex patient who developed concomitant metastatic rectal cancer, while awaiting cardiac transplantation. The lack of a clear plan resulted in a rushed and unsatisfactory withdrawal, but prompted discussions with the cardiothoracic team and other teams using LSMDs.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	B100 Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology
Department:	Faculties > Health and Life Sciences > Applied Sciences
Depositing User:	Becky Skoyles
Date Deposited:	06 May 2015 15:39
Last Modified:	12 Oct 2019 18:28
URI:	http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/22307

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