She’s dying…so what would you do?

[Mr. P]

An 85 year old woman with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) on O2 at home was taken to the hospital last Wednesday. On Thursday they put her on a ventilator.

By Tuesday her condition had only improved slightly. On Wednesday somehow the intertrachial tube became dislodged. It was removed but not replaced. No one expected her to survive more that a few hours, but she did. In fact she improved.

The Doc saw her on Thursday and laid all the info out, asked if she wanted any effort made to assist her if it was necessary. She said no. The next day she asked for the Vent to be replaced, it wasn’t, she has developed pneumonia. She had a feeding tube also.

On Saturday she pulled the feeding tube out. The story is it can’t be reinserted except directly into the stomach.

So, she is being kept sedated at this point.

What would you do? Intervene? What will the quality of life be like for someone on O2 100% of the time most likely on a ventilator, placed in some care facility because her spouse can’t take care of all her needs?

[5stringJeff]

If she's made it clear that she doesn't want the additional medical assistance, then she's made her choice about quality of life, which her doctors should respect.

[Dilloduck]

An 85 year old woman with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) on O2 at home was taken to the hospital last Wednesday. On Thursday they put her on a ventilator.

By Tuesday her condition had only improved slightly. On Wednesday somehow the intertrachial tube became dislodged. It was removed but not replaced. No one expected her to survive more that a few hours, but she did. In fact she improved.

The Doc saw her on Thursday and laid all the info out, asked if she wanted any effort made to assist her if it was necessary. She said no. The next day she asked for the Vent to be replaced, it wasn’t, she has developed pneumonia. She had a feeding tube also.

On Saturday she pulled the feeding tube out. The story is it can’t be reinserted except directly into the stomach.

So, she is being kept sedated at this point.

What would you do? Intervene? What will the quality of life be like for someone on O2 100% of the time most likely on a ventilator, placed in some care facility because her spouse can’t take care of all her needs?

I would let those that love her the most make a decision on all the facts that are available.

[avatar4321]

I would let those that love her the most make a decision on all the facts that are available.

As would I, as long as the ones who "lover her most" want her dead for some selfish reason

[Gaffer]

She asked for the vent to be replaced and it wasn't. That tells me someone had made a decision besides her as she was fully capable of making a decision.

Pulling the feeding tube out indicates she fully expects to die or assumes they want her too as they wouldn't replace the vent.

Definately they need to keep her sedated until she passes.

The vent thing strikes me as wrong.