Treating an intervention level 1 patient: futile or brave?

  • Nasheetah Solomons University of the Western Cape
  • Nico Nortje University of the Free State
Keywords: futile treatment, Cerebral palsy, Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, palliative care, Nasogastric feeding, Nasojejunal feeding

Abstract

An ethical dilemma describes conflicting opinions by different members of the care team. This article focuses on AJ, a five-year-old child with cerebral palsy, who was born deaf and blind as a result of having contracted rubella in utero. The case is examined against Sokol’s four-quadrant analysis of ethical issues, giving a framework designed to facilitate the systematic identification and analysis of clinical ethical problems. The issue is whether the medical team should have palliated AJ, or continued with invasive therapy and feeding. The conclusion is that paediatric palliative care is often difficult, but that the dietitian has a duty to contribute his or her knowledge to benefit the patient.

Author Biographies

Nasheetah Solomons, University of the Western Cape
MSc Department of Dietetics University of the Western Cape
Nico Nortje, University of the Free State
DPhil Department of Psychology University of the Free State
Published
2013-08-31
How to Cite
Solomons, N., & Nortje, N. (2013). Treating an intervention level 1 patient: futile or brave?. South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 26(4), 176-180. Retrieved from http://sajcn.co.za/index.php/SAJCN/article/view/732
Issue
Vol 26 No 4 (2013)
Section
Original Research
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