Monday, January 24, 2011

Surgeons against aggressive treatment, "But is the law on living wills"

ROME - The artificial nutrition and hydration are medical treatments and as such should be subject to informed consent. The statement in advance of treatment, the so-called DAT, for the doctor's word is binding and not merely indicative. And 'This is the opinion of more than seven out of ten Italian surgeons according to a survey sponsored by the Italian College of Surgeons (CIC) in the category, however, considers a very large majority (81%) still needed a law on living wills.

"There were no doubt - says Pietro Forestieri, president of CIC - on the need to pass a law to share such a sensitive subject." The survey was conducted among members of the Boards of over 60 national scientific societies of surgical area that refer to the CIC and the results are the result of 746 responses on the 1050 questionnaires sent).

"A sample is extremely important from both a quantitative and qualitative point of view," said the CIC: "We wanted to ask about an issue that affects our profession every day," said Pietro Forestieri. The results of the survey show that almost all of the second category, 97%, from astern must persist in treatments from which we can not wait for a health benefit of the sick, and if the patient can not express their will, 92% of surgeons must be taken into account in their choices of what he had previously expressed to the known and documented.

Little doubt, according to the survey, also to be taken when the patient voluntarily refuses to feed: 89% of surgeons surveyed believes that the physician has a duty to inform them of the consequences of prolonged fasting on his health, but should not take initiatives to collaborate or constrictive maneuvers constraint of artificial feeding, while continuing to assist him.

Clearly the choice in front of patients who, before losing consciousness, have expressed its opposition to artificial feeding: 75% of the sample said they did not accept the obligation to administer in any event, even if required by law. 46% of the decision is up to the patient, the physician and 27% for family members and only 2% to the doctor.

The will of the patient, if earlier, and consciously expressed, is crucial in two out of three surgeons: to him, according to 65% of the sample, it should be for the decision not to suspend or administering therapies and treatments that keep alive artificially. There is a 16% of doctors to rule out any possibility of interruption of treatment "because life is a gift to be protected" and unavailable, 12% would entrust the decision to an ethics committee of experts that would reserve 5% relatives of the patient and, finally, a 1% that would leave the burden of choice to the physician or a magistrate.

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