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Clinical Decisions to Limit Treatment
Abstract
A case of a patient with gastrointestinal hemorrhage raises the question of limiting medical treatment. We analyze four reasons to limit treatment: Treatment is futile, the patient refuses treatment, the costs of treatment seem excessive, and the quality of life is judged unacceptable. For cases in which treatment is to be limited, we offer practical suggestions for compassionate and appropriate terminal care.
Article and Author Information
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▸From the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar Program, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, and the Bioethics Program and Health Policy Program, University of California, San Francisco; California.
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Grant support: in part by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Commonwealth Foundation.
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▸Requests for reprints should be addressed to Bernard Lo, M.D.; Division of General Internal Medicine, Room A 405, 400 Parnassus Avenue, University of California Medical Center; San Francisco, CA 94143.
- © 1980 American College of Physicians
