Terminating the ventilatory support: an ethical dilemma

Abstract

Intensive care physicians in modern set ups frequently have to face a dilemma in which they have to vote for a choice to sustain or to withdraw ventilatory treatment in terminally sick patients. The rapidly developing science of organ transplantation has given birth to many new questions, some of which still remain unanswered. Although most of the main religions have somehow endorsed organ harvesting from these patients to sustain the life of some other sick persons, and although many countries have clear guidelines authenticated by the legislation, clinicians in many countries still have to answer these questions based upon their experience and other factors. Many of them refuse to accept the option of terminating life supporting treatment including ventilatory therapy. In this editorial the later viewpoint has been discussed by the esteemed author.