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Case 10C Mr. Stanley is 83 years old. His cancer has recently spread to his brain. He has been admitted to the ICU with respiratory distress and pneumonia. He has been hospitalized four times in the past two months for similar reasons. Given his overall medical condi- tion and very poor prognosis for a meaningful recovery, his doc- tor recommends forgoing mechanical ventilation in favor of an approach directed toward comfort. Mr. Stanley’s wife disagrees with this plan. She wants everything done to keep him alive. She tells the doctor that it is criminal to suggest not using a breathing machine to keep her husband alive. She threatens to file a lawsuit against the hospital and the attending physician if they refuse. Knowing that a breathing machine will only prolong Mr. Stanley’s death and will not offer any overall benefit to the patient, the doctor wants to deny Mrs. Stanley’s request. Discussion questions. Can the doctor do this? Should the doctor do this? How should doctors handle requests for treatments they know will not benefit patients?
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