USMLE Ethics Question 7

Q: 72 year Ms. Smith has chronic renal failure from diabetes and decides to stop getting dialysis. She understands that not getting dialysis will kill her. As her physician if you do not intervene she is certainly going to die. His 45 year old son urges you to save her life. What do you do?

A: Patients have the absolute right to refuse medical intervention. They can refuse cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, artificial nutrition or IV fluids, dialysis etc. even if it results in his or her death. Such a decision to withdraw or withhold life-sustaining treatment is not considered suicide and physician participation is not considered physician-assisted suicide. Physicians do not have any legal liability.