[Reflections apropos the stopping of dialysis treatments]

In North America, the withdrawal from dialysis is one of the major causes of death among patients treated for end-stage renal disease, especially when it comes to the elderly. The reasons for the decision to terminate treatment are either medical or can be seen in what we commonly call the "quality of life", even though the latter is difficult to define. Situations such as these are hardly ever referred to in European medical literature. They create difficult psychological, ethical and event legal problems that need to be anticipated and resolved for each individual case. According to the authors, the basis for this thinking and the debate surrounding the termination of treatment as well as the final decision to do so ultimately rest with the physician. The quality of the relationship established between patient, family and medical staff during the course of treatment is essential in situations like these.