is this legal

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Specializes in ICU.

An estranged family member says put him on end of life care. The Palliative care people tell a new nurse to take the propofol off the pump and run it wide open until the breathing stops.

The respiratory therapist pulls out the ETT.

This really happened.

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Specializes in ICU.

this man was 64 years old, he wanted to live

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Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

Wow, that just sounds crazy. I have had my fair share of comfort care only pts but this is way beyond CC. We have stopped tx, pulled the ETT tube and gave morphine and ativan for pain and anxiety but not like that. I have never heard of something like this, diprovan until respirations stop... Sounds like euthanasia to me. I just have more questions.. What was the pts DX, chance of survival etc..

I can say that most people do want to live even when the cards are stacked against them.

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Specializes in ICU.

diabetic, CRI and failure to wean. Does palliative care mean to kill people as quickly as possible?

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Specializes in Reproductive & Public Health.

Wow, that's obviously not palliative care. If that really happened it is homocide. Even if the estranged family member somehow had POA (which I am assuming he did not, based on the scenario), you can't just overdose someone to kill them. Even in states where physician assisted suicide is legal (which I am in favor of!), the patient has to take the meds themselves.

What was your role in this scenario? I have to say, I am skeptical.

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Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

No that is NOT what it mean, hospice does not mean kill them as quick as possible either. What it is supposed to mean is allow them to die as pain free as possible, manage other S&S, offer services to the pt and family to make the time they have left as easy as possible etc..

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Specializes in ICU.

Sounds pretty illegal. It does sound like euthanasia.I was an icu nurse and now I am a palliative/ hospice nurse.We have never done a tying remotely like that for end of like care in the icu, nor in hospice. Even in th active dying phase we o ly do what brings comfort, not what we end their life quicker.

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Specializes in ICU.

And the nurse who actually carried out these orders? What made her ok with doing that? Because a doctor said so? I would tell the ordering doc if he wants it done to do it, because I certainly would not!

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Specializes in LTC and School Health.

Never heard of this before. Like others said, Hospice provide other services and does not help people to die quicker. I have given morphine IV and IVP q 15min for break though. However, it was to relieve air hunger and pain. The patient did die shortly after the morphine gtt, but atleast he was comfortable.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I have seen terminal wean situations where the patient is made comfortable........but a drip open wide? No.

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Specializes in ICU.
An estranged family member says put him on end of life care. The Palliative care people tell a new nurse to take the propofol off the pump and run it wide open until the breathing stops.

The respiratory therapist pulls out the ETT.

This really happened.

Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen for the new nurse.

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

Propofol drip wide open until respirations stop...sounds like euthanasia to me. And a law suit just waiting to happen. If I were that nurse, I would have put my foot down.

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