The Littlest Doctor

I heard of this terminology for the first time today. I like it. I think one of the best things we are able to do as a doctor is to help someone die with measures for comfort and dignity when we can’t cure them. But somehow, we can get into situations where what we as medical professionals believe is best for the patient is different from the beliefs of the family.

I think a lot of people don’t realise how violent CPR is. I had the lovely family of a frail, older patient ask if we could do ‘gentle’ CPR. It’s a nice idea, but doesn’t exist unfortunately…

It makes me sad that when a person comes into hospital they risk losing the right for a peaceful death. We have to obtain consent to allow a person to die. For most, the idea of dying peacefully in one’s sleep is how they want to go, and how they want their loved ones to pass away. But when people are actually confronted with giving medical staff permission to stand back if their loved one is found near death is a very difficult decision to make. And caring family members unwittingly expose their loved one to a violent and prolonged death.

When this is the likelihood, I tell people this. I tell them honestly, CPR won’t work and we might hurt more than we help. But sometimes they won’t or can’t listen. They can’t understand. Or some doctors (understandably) don’t want to give families graphic details. But I think they need to understand what they may be insisting we do to their family member.

All I can do is hope she keeps breathing and her heart keeps beating. Because I don’t want to break all her ribs, and watch her suffer and end up bloodied and bruised instead of quietly passing away. If it comes to it, that’s not the dignified ending she deserves.