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Are we allowed to discontinue medical treatment in this child?

Wendela G Leeuwenburgh-Pronk1, Laura Miller-Smith2, Vicki Forman3

  • 1Sophia Children's Hospital, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands; w.g.leeuwenburgh@amc.uva.nl.

Pediatrics
|February 4, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Discontinuing medical treatment for children with incurable complex conditions presents ethical challenges. Palliative care, including sedatives or analgesics, must be carefully considered to manage discomfort without hastening death.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Ethics
  • Palliative Care
  • Medical Futility

Background:

  • Complex chronic conditions in children pose significant ethical dilemmas.
  • Determining when to discontinue medical treatment is challenging, especially when not life-sustaining.
  • The prospect of improving quality of life is a key consideration.

Observation:

  • Medical futility raises questions about prolonging treatment that causes discomfort.
  • Ethical considerations arise when a child is not dependent on mechanical ventilation or ICU care.
  • The role and justification of palliative care, including sedatives and analgesics, are central.

Findings:

  • Prolonging medical treatment in cases of futility can be harmful.
  • Discontinuing treatment requires careful ethical deliberation.
  • Palliative care aims to alleviate suffering.

Implications:

  • Ethical frameworks are needed for managing medical futility in pediatrics.
  • Palliative care strategies must balance comfort with potential life-shortening effects.
  • Discussions on end-of-life care in pediatric complex conditions are crucial.

Keywords:
childethicspalliative careterminal sedationwithdrawal of medical treatment

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