Withdrawing life-supporting technology from patients who are irremediably ill is morally troubling for caregivers, patients, and families. Interventions that enable clinicians to delay death create situations in which the dignity and comfort of dying patients may be sacrificed to spare professionals and families from their elemental fear of death. Understanding of the limits of treatment, expertise in palliation of symptoms, skillful communication, and careful orchestration of controllable events can help to manage the withdrawal of life support appropriately.
aJoint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto, 88 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L4, Canada
bMedical-Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Toronto General Hospital, 585 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2N2, Canada
cThe Interdisciplinary Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
dSunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, M3-200, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada
Corresponding author. Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto, 88 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G IL4, Canada
ABSTRACT