International Journal of Gerontology
Volume 3, Issue 1 , Pages 26-30, March 2009

Attaining Good End-of-Life Care in Intensive Care Units in Taiwan—The Dilemma And the Strategy

  • Shih-Yi Lee

      Affiliations

    • Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Mackay Medicine, Nursing and Management College, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Chung-Lieh Hung

      Affiliations

    • Mackay Medicine, Nursing and Management College, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Department of Cardiology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Jun-Hua Lee

      Affiliations

    • Hospice and Palliative Care Center, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Shou-Chuan Shih

      Affiliations

    • Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Yu-Ling Weng

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Wen-Han Chang

      Affiliations

    • Mackay Medicine, Nursing and Management College, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Department of Emergency Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Yueh-Hsiu Ho

      Affiliations

    • Department of Nursing, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Wen-Chu Huang

      Affiliations

    • Mackay Medicine, Nursing and Management College, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Yuen-Liang Lai

      Affiliations

    • Hospice and Palliative Care Center, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Department of General Education Center, Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Department of the Graduate Institute of Humanities in Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Department of Taipei Medical University, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Yuen-Liang Lai, Hospice and Palliative Care Center, Mackay Memorial Hospital, 45, Minsheng Road, Tamshui Town, Taipei 25115, Taiwan

Accepted 14 February 2009.

Article Outline

SUMMARY 

One of the major challenges for intensivists is resolving the conflicting interests in end-of-life care. We reviewed patients' characteristics in an intensive care unit to determine the major barriers of practicing good end-of-life care and the medical ethics involved for the care team to resolve these conflicts.

Key Words:  double effect , medical ethics , medical futility , uncertainty

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PII: S1873-9598(09)70017-1

doi:10.1016/S1873-9598(09)70017-1

International Journal of Gerontology
Volume 3, Issue 1 , Pages 26-30, March 2009

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