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Frederick Smith

Comment-JAMA article on lower EOL cost in high$ regions - 0 views

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    The researchers found that in areas where end-of-life care costs were normally high, having an advance directive significantly lowered the cost of care. On average, end-of-life care spending was $5,585 less per person in the high-spending regions when someone had an advance directive. > Having an advance directive didn't necessarily limit the initiation of aggressive treatments, but seemed to lead to their earlier withdrawal. Author said this finding was particularly important because some people make the argument that having an advance directive might limit all of the care you receive at the end of your life. But, this finding shows that while treatments are often started, for "patients with an advance directive, there's an earlier recognition of when treatments aren't working and when it's time to go to hospice."
Frederick Smith

DeBakey - The Man on the Table Devised the Surgery - by Lawrence K. Altman - 0 views

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    "...beyond the medical advances, Dr. DeBakey's story is emblematic of the difficulties that often accompany care at the end of life. It is a story of debates over how far to go in treating someone so old, ... and risky decisions that, while still being argued over, clearly saved Dr. DeBakey's life. It is also a story of Dr. DeBakey himself, a strong-willed pioneer who at one point was willing to die, concedes he was at times in denial about how sick he was and is now plowing into life with as much zest and verve as ever. But Dr. DeBakey's rescue almost never happened. He refused to be admitted to a hospital until late January. As his health deteriorated and he became unresponsive in the hospital in early February, his surgical partner of 40 years, Dr. George P. Noon, decided an operation was the only way to save his life. But the hospital's anesthesiologists refused to put Dr. DeBakey to sleep because such an operation had never been performed on someone his age and in his condition. Also, they said Dr. DeBakey had signed a directive that forbade surgery. As the hospital's ethics committee debated in a late-night emergency meeting on the 12th floor of Methodist Hospital, Dr. DeBakey's wife, Katrin, barged in to demand that the operation begin immediately.
Frederick Smith

Make Your Wishes Known - 0 views

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    The story of a 36-year-old man on life support after losing his limbs. His family pulled the plug; he decided he was glad to be alive. by Ashwaq Masoodi Atlantic, Jul 10 2013
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