Biomaterial Database

Stability of patient preferences regarding life-sustaining treatments. 1990

M A Everhart, and R A Pearlman

Department of Medicine, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Seattle.

Physicians often express concern about the reliability of critically ill patients' preferences regarding life-sustaining treatments. We interviewed 30 Veterans Administration intensive care unit patients to determine their preferences for resuscitation, resuscitation requiring mechanical ventilation, artificial hydration and nutrition, and hospitalization for treatment of pneumonia. Patients expressed their preferences considering their current health and then two hypothetical scenarios, stroke and dementia. Follow-up interviews occurred one month later to assess preference stability. We found a diversity of opinions about life-sustaining treatments. Despite significant changes in health status and mood (p less than 0.05), treatment preferences were stable over time (kappa = .35-.70). Our results suggest that life-sustaining treatment preferences solicited during a serious illness are reliable and may be used in decision-making when a patient becomes unable to communicate or is mentally incapacitated.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007362	Intensive Care Units	Hospital units providing continuous surveillance and care to acutely ill patients.	ICU Intensive Care Units,Intensive Care Unit,Unit, Intensive Care
D008020	Life Support Care	Care provided patients requiring extraordinary therapeutic measures in order to sustain and prolong life.	Extraordinary Treatment,Prolongation of Life,Care, Life Support,Extraordinary Treatments,Life Prolongation,Treatment, Extraordinary,Treatments, Extraordinary
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010288	Parenteral Nutrition	The administering of nutrients for assimilation and utilization by a patient who cannot maintain adequate nutrition by enteral feeding alone. Nutrients are administered by a route other than the alimentary canal (e.g., intravenously, subcutaneously).	Intravenous Feeding,Nutrition, Parenteral,Parenteral Feeding,Feeding, Intravenous,Feeding, Parenteral,Feedings, Intravenous,Feedings, Parenteral,Intravenous Feedings,Parenteral Feedings
D010342	Patient Acceptance of Health Care	Patients' willingness to receive health care.	Acceptability of Health Care,Health Care Seeking Behavior,Acceptability of Healthcare,Acceptors of Health Care,Health Care Utilization,Nonacceptors of Health Care,Patient Acceptance of Healthcare,Care Acceptor, Health,Care Acceptors, Health,Care Nonacceptor, Health,Care Nonacceptors, Health,Health Care Acceptability,Health Care Acceptor,Health Care Acceptors,Health Care Nonacceptor,Health Care Nonacceptors,Healthcare Acceptabilities,Healthcare Acceptability,Healthcare Patient Acceptance,Healthcare Patient Acceptances,Utilization, Health Care
D010361	Patients	Individuals participating in the health care system for the purpose of receiving therapeutic, diagnostic, or preventive procedures.	Clients,Client,Patient
D012121	Respiration, Artificial	Any method of artificial breathing that employs mechanical or non-mechanical means to force the air into and out of the lungs. Artificial respiration or ventilation is used in individuals who have stopped breathing or have RESPIRATORY INSUFFICIENCY to increase their intake of oxygen (O2) and excretion of carbon dioxide (CO2).	Ventilation, Mechanical,Mechanical Ventilation,Artificial Respiration,Artificial Respirations,Mechanical Ventilations,Respirations, Artificial,Ventilations, Mechanical
D012151	Resuscitation	The restoration to life or consciousness of one apparently dead. (Dorland, 27th ed)	Resuscitations
D005440	Fluid Therapy	Therapy whose basic objective is to restore the volume and composition of the body fluids to normal with respect to WATER-ELECTROLYTE BALANCE. Fluids may be administered intravenously, orally, by intermittent gavage, or by HYPODERMOCLYSIS.	Oral Rehydration Therapy,Rehydration,Rehydration, Oral,Oral Rehydration,Rehydration Therapy, Oral,Therapy, Fluid,Therapy, Oral Rehydration,Fluid Therapies,Oral Rehydration Therapies,Oral Rehydrations,Rehydration Therapies, Oral,Rehydrations,Rehydrations, Oral,Therapies, Fluid,Therapies, Oral Rehydration
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man