Have you ever encountered a pt in the acute care setting and thought s/he would benefit from hospice?
I just recently had a situation where a pt was to go in for a PEG placement per family request and thought to myself that they need to reconsider. Imagine this: very elderly pt, refusing to eat or drink, being hydrated by iv fluids, unable to perform any ADLs whatsoever, very confused, sleeping majority of the day (and night), minimal verbal response...
How could the physician even consider a PEG placement? It may just as well be the family being indenial, but what I would like to know is...have you been in a similar situation and how did you handle it? Do you recommend hospice to the physician first? How did the MD handle that suggestion?
Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. I felt...quite frankly, pity for the pt since, I believe, a peg tube was unnecessary and would only prolong the pt's suffering.
