1st Forum of the Southern Cone End-of-Life Study Group: proposal for care of patients, bearers of terminal disease staying in the ICU

Rev Bras Ter Intensiva. 2009 Aug;21(3):306-9.
[Article in English, Portuguese]

Abstract

Withholding of treatment in patients with terminal disease is increasingly common in intensive care units, throughout the world. Notwithstanding, Brazilian intensivists still have a great difficulty to offer the best treatment to patients that have not benefited from curative care. The objective of this comment is to suggest an algorithm for the care of terminally ill patients. It was formulated based upon literature and the experience of experts, by members of the ethics committee and end-of-life of AMIB - Brazilian Association of Intensive Care.