["Meaningless treatment" in terminal care. Importance of declaring do-not-resuscitate orders]

The word futile (from the Latin futilis) means incapable of producing any result, serving no useful purpose. For several decades the concept of futile treatment has been discussed internationally. The underlying assumptions of the debate are discussed in this article, as are the goals of medical treatment, the uncertainty of effects, current practice and attitudes to such issues as foregoing life-sustaining treatment. Despite exhaustive debate, there seems to be no consensus as to the definition of 'futile treatment,' mainly because the expression lacks unique, intrinsic purport. The expression is used to indicate the existence of, and the relationship between conditions (i.e. under what circumstances is a treatment to be considered futile--and by whom?) and consequences (i.e. if a treatment is considered to be futile in a particular situation, does this imply that it is permissible to withhold the treatment or that it would be wrong to give the treatment?).