Ethical Decisions in Discontinuing Mechanical Ventilation

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Abstract
IN the past two decades, mechanical ventilation has proved to be lifesaving in a wide variety of clinical conditions. The techniques are now integrated throughout the medical care system — from cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the field to the precise control of arterial blood gases during mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit and to long-term maintenance of life in patients with chronic incurable disease. Mechanical ventilation thus represents one of the most important high-technology advances in contemporary medicine. In acute illnesses, particularly certain forms of pneumonia associated with impaired blood oxygenation, mechanical ventilation can mean the difference between life and . . .

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