After failed attempts to control internal bleeding,can a doctor suggest palliative care?
Many years ago when I was a student nurse I was assigned to sit at the bedside of a patient who had uncontrolled internal bleeding. I was there to keep her as comfortable as possible while she slowly bled to death. I’ve never forgotten the experience. What I was providing was palliative care. I provided for whatever she requested, and listened to what she wanted to talk about, I was with her all night until she passed quietly in the early morning. Typically a family member might be asked to stay with a patient in this situation, but this woman had no family to contact. Basically the palliative care situation simply meant that no further medical treatments aimed at stopping the bleeding, and no resuscitative measures would be instituted on her behalf, so that she was allowed to be kept comfortable as she went through the dying process without intervention. I don’t equate this with euthanasia……her wishes were being respected, based on the information discussed with her doctor regardi
