Legal myths about terminating life support

Article Abstract:

With the advent of increasingly sophisticated methods for saving and prolonging life, difficult moral and legal decisions concerning what constitutes unreasonably heroic efforts to senselessly maintain life must be made. Medical practitioners are not always fully informed about the legal issues involved in initiating and terminating life support in cases of incurable disease or injury from which even minimal recovery is unlikely. In this article, eight common erroneous assumptions are enumerated and debunked: (1) anything not specifically permitted by the law is prohibited, (2) termination of life support is murder or suicide, (3) a patient must be terminally ill for life support to be stopped, (4) only extraordinary, not ordinary, treatments may be terminated, (5) treatment may be withheld, but not stopped once begun, (6) stopping tube feeding is legally different from stopping other treatments, (7) termination of life support requires going to court, and (8) living wills are not legal. None of these suppositions is true, but neither are they entirely without truth. Each is based on some small kernel of legal truth that has been overstated and inappropriately generalized. It is important that physicians be adequately informed about the particulars of legislation concerning life support in the state(s) in which they practice. As a general rule, the eight assumptions dealt with do not have validity in current legal statutes, and should not be used as a basis for providing or failing to provide life support. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Medical policy, Health policy, Life support systems (Critical care), Life support care

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Low-carbohydrate diets and realities of weight loss

Article Abstract:

Most low-carbohydrate diets cause weight loss by reducing the number of calories consumed, not by reducing the amount of carbohydrates. These diets also cause a quick weight loss, which is valued by many people. But specialized diets may be hard to follow for long periods of time. More research is needed to identify which type of weight loss diet is most effective over the long-term.

Editorial, Evaluation, Low-carbohydrate diet, Low carbohydrate diet

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Seven Legal Barriers to End-of-Life Care: Myths, Realities, and Grains of Truth

Article Abstract:

Doctors should be knowledgeable about the laws in their state governing terminal care. Many beliefs about the legality of certain procedures are not true, and seven such beliefs are analyzed in detail.

Analysis, Medical misconceptions

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