G Neitzke1, A Rogge2, K M Lücking3, B Böll4, H Burchardi5, K Dannenberg6, G Duttge7, J Dutzmann8, R Erchinger9, P Gretenkort10, C Hartog11,12, S Jöbges12, K Knochel13, M Liebig14, S Meier15, A Michalsen16, G Michels17, M Mohr18, F Nauck19, F Salomon20, A-H Seidlein21, G Söffker22, H Stopfkuchen23, U Janssens24. 1. Institut für Geschichte, Ethik und Philosophie der Medizin, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Deutschland. 2. Klinische Ethikberatung, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Deutschland. 3. Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Freiburg, Deutschland. 4. Klinik I für Innere Medizin, Uniklinik Köln, Köln, Deutschland. 5. , Bovenden, Deutschland. 6. Medizinische Klinik, BG Klinikum Bergmannstrost, Halle, Deutschland. 7. Abteilung für strafrechtliches Medizin- und Biorecht, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Deutschland. 8. Universitätsklinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin III Kardiologie, Angiologie und Internistische Intensivmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Halle (Saale), Halle, Deutschland. 9. , Schopp, Deutschland. 10. Simulations- und Notfallakademie, Helios Klinikum Krefeld, Krefeld, Deutschland. 11. Patienten- und Angehörigenzentrierte Versorgung, Klinik Bavaria Kreischa, Kreischa, Deutschland. 12. Klinik für Anästhesiologie mit Schwerpunkt operative Intensivmedizin, Campus Charité Mitte und Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland. 13. Kinderpalliativzentrum München, Kinderklinik und Kinderpoliklinik im Dr. von Haunerschen Kinderspital, Klinikum der Universität München, München, Deutschland. 14. Medizinische Klinik, Klinikum Görlitz, Görlitz, Deutschland. 15. Klinik für Anästhesiologie, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Deutschland. 16. Klinik für Anästhesiologie, Intensivmedizin, Notfallmedizin und Schmerztherapie, Klinik Tettnang, Tettnang, Deutschland. 17. Klinik III für Innere Medizin, Uniklinik Köln, Köln, Deutschland. 18. Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin, Ev. Diakonie-Krankenhaus, Bremen, Deutschland. 19. Klinik für Palliativmedizin, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Göttingen, Deutschland. 20. , Lemgo, Deutschland. 21. Institut für Ethik und Geschichte in der Medizin, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Deutschland. 22. Zentrum für Intensivmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Deutschland. 23. , Mainz, Deutschland. 24. Klinik für Innere Medizin und Internistische Intensivmedizin, St.-Antonius-Hospital, Dechant-Deckers-Str. 8, 52249, Eschweiler, Deutschland. uwe.janssens@sah-eschweiler.de.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND CHALLENGE: Injuries, especially traumatic brain injury, or specific illnesses and their respective sequelae can result in the demise of the patients afflicted despite all efforts of modern intensive care medicine. If in principle organ donation is an option after a patient's death, intensive therapeutic measures are regularly required in order to maintain the homeostasis of the organs. These measures, however, cannot benefit the patient afflicted anymore-which in turn might lead to an ethical conflict between dignified palliative care for him/her and expanded intensive treatment to facilitate organ donation for others, especially if the patient has opted for the limitation of life-sustaining therapies in an advance directive. METHOD: The Ethics Section and the Organ Donation and Transplantation Section of the German Interdisciplinary Association of Critical Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI) have convened several meetings and a telephone conference and have arrived at a decision-making aid as to the extent of treatment for potential organ donors. This instrument focusses first on the assessment of five individual dimensions regarding organ donation, namely the certitude of a complete and irreversible loss of all brain function, the patient's wishes as to organ donation, his or her wishes as to limiting life-sustaining therapies, the intensity of expanded intensive treatment for organ protection and the odds of its successful attainment. Then, the combination of the individual assessments, as graphically shown in a {Netzdiagramm}, will allow for a judgement as to whether a continuation or possibly an expansion of intensive care measures is ethically justified, questionable or even inappropriate. RESULT: The aid described can help mitigate ethical conflicts as to the extent of intensive care treatment for moribund patients, when organ donation is a medically sound option. NOTE: Gerald Neitzke und Annette Rogge contributed equally to this paper and should be considered co-first authors.
BACKGROUND AND CHALLENGE: Injuries, especially traumatic brain injury, or specific illnesses and their respective sequelae can result in the demise of the patients afflicted despite all efforts of modern intensive care medicine. If in principle organ donation is an option after a patient's death, intensive therapeutic measures are regularly required in order to maintain the homeostasis of the organs. These measures, however, cannot benefit the patient afflicted anymore-which in turn might lead to an ethical conflict between dignified palliative care for him/her and expanded intensive treatment to facilitate organ donation for others, especially if the patient has opted for the limitation of life-sustaining therapies in an advance directive. METHOD: The Ethics Section and the Organ Donation and Transplantation Section of the German Interdisciplinary Association of Critical Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI) have convened several meetings and a telephone conference and have arrived at a decision-making aid as to the extent of treatment for potential organ donors. This instrument focusses first on the assessment of five individual dimensions regarding organ donation, namely the certitude of a complete and irreversible loss of all brain function, the patient's wishes as to organ donation, his or her wishes as to limiting life-sustaining therapies, the intensity of expanded intensive treatment for organ protection and the odds of its successful attainment. Then, the combination of the individual assessments, as graphically shown in a {Netzdiagramm}, will allow for a judgement as to whether a continuation or possibly an expansion of intensive care measures is ethically justified, questionable or even inappropriate. RESULT: The aid described can help mitigate ethical conflicts as to the extent of intensive care treatment for moribund patients, when organ donation is a medically sound option. NOTE: Gerald Neitzke und Annette Rogge contributed equally to this paper and should be considered co-first authors.
Entities:
Keywords:
End-of-life care; Extent of intensive care treatment; Intensive care medicine; Organ donation; Organ transplantation