So maybe I'm just a bit too sensitive lately. Or maybe I'm just too much of a novice, but lately the phrase "he's going to die" is really starting to tick me off. My next thought is "do something about it!!" Which is weird because when we're in the patient's room and they're on death's door, all I can think is man, I wish someone would help put them out of their misery.
So I guess I'm really conflicted with the whole death thing. On one hand I think we should do something when the patient is headed in that direction (that is definitely the surgeon mind in me). And on the other, if they are elderly and can't do anything for themselves, I think why is physician assisted death so bad?
I think the other thing my attendings have failed in mentioning, or perhaps even doing, is when a patient is on death's door and it seems like we're not doing anything to prevent it, its a really good time to talk to the family, make sure the patient is comfortable, if there is anything the patient would have wanted in those final days, and work on those kinds of things. Otherwise it seems like getting that final CT of their abdomen really isn't that important anymore.
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