How much is too much care? Interventions and life support in children with profound impairments and life-threatening conditions
Christopher J. Newman and Eric B. Zurbrugg
01 Clinical scenario 1
02 Clinical scenario 2
03 Discussion
04 The child
05 Challenges
06 Autonomy
07 The child, the family, the team
08 Trey
09 Mary
10 Death
11 The child and the society
12 Disagreement and negotiation
13 Epilogue
14 Themes for discussion
00 References
00 User Guide
00 Learning Account
How much is too much care? Interventions and life support in children with profound impairments and life-threatening conditions
The fact that we often have the technological capacity to extend life can easily create considerable discomfort for practitioners as well as families, and can be the focal point for conflicts both between families and service providers, and more broadly within the health and social care teams.
In their analysis of two cases, Newman and Zurbrugg discuss the impact of these challenges as they might concern the child, the family, the service providers and their teams, and the broader society in which these dramas play out.
These dilemmas expose people’s personal values, and bring into focus universal values such as those enshrined in United Nations’ conventions on the rights of children and of disabled persons.
