In a radio lab segment I listened to today, a doctor confessed that they are not very good at explaining the futile to patients and family members. The presentation also compared what most doctors would choose in the last months of life and it is 180 degrees different then what others would chose.
One example, CPR--80% of Docs say no as a life saving matter. Why? In the movies, TV 70% of those getting it survive. Reality: 8%. And of those, only about one third have a good recovery.
One doctor had a practice of asking all his patients--how do you want to die?--because it was the one inevitable thing, and only about 10% of the populace plan at all.
So, how do you want to die? If you say quick and as painless as possible--that is the lie we tell ourselves--when the reality is--as another doctor on the program stated--we subject the dying to procedures that would be deemed the most horrific of tortures and only to lengthen life a few days or months.
And where do most doctors want to die. Guess what, not in a hospital.
So how do you want to die? It's inevitable so why not face it?
Loren M. Lambert © February 4, 2013
One example, CPR--80% of Docs say no as a life saving matter. Why? In the movies, TV 70% of those getting it survive. Reality: 8%. And of those, only about one third have a good recovery.
One doctor had a practice of asking all his patients--how do you want to die?--because it was the one inevitable thing, and only about 10% of the populace plan at all.
So, how do you want to die? If you say quick and as painless as possible--that is the lie we tell ourselves--when the reality is--as another doctor on the program stated--we subject the dying to procedures that would be deemed the most horrific of tortures and only to lengthen life a few days or months.
And where do most doctors want to die. Guess what, not in a hospital.
So how do you want to die? It's inevitable so why not face it?
Loren M. Lambert © February 4, 2013
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