Annual Congress Vienna 2003

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Dying with end-stage respiratory disorders

Assembly Symposium
Chairs: M. W. Elliott (Leeds, United Kingdom), G. Rubenfeld (Seattle, United States Of America)
Aims: In the Western world medical advances have lead to a dramatic increase in life expectancy. There is now the perception that every disease may be successfully treated, so that the concept of dying has switched from ?natural? to ?unacceptable?. As healthcare professionals we now have to face this new reality, especially in patients with acute respiratory failure on a background of end-stage chronic respiratory disease. Furthermore, life-support ventilation is increasingly given to patients with irreversible diseases such as ALS, cervical trauma and cancer. The objective of this symposium is to highlight the different strategies in approaching this kind of patient, the decision making process about withdrawing ventilatory support and the human and economical implications.

Acute respiratory failure in end-stage diseases - what should we do? A. K. Simonds (London, United Kingdom)
Attitudes to and practices of withdrawing life support therapy
Legal and ethical principles in withdrawing life support therapy M. W. Elliott (Leeds, United Kingdom)