RT Journal
A1 Feudtner C, Morrison W
T1 THe darkening veil of “do everything”
JF Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
JO Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
YR 2012
FD August 1
VO 166
IS 8
SP 694
OP 695
DO 10.1001/archpediatrics.2012.175
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpediatrics.2012.175
AB 
The hour is late and the situation dire. Huddled by the patient's bedside, a nurse and respiratory therapist stand just behind the physician who speaks to the family members. Sometimes the patient is a child—perhaps an infant, just born, with severe congenital anomalies, or maybe a toddler who fell into a pool and nearly drowned. Other times, the patient is far older, and may have had a sudden massive heart attack or may have been living with progressive cancer for months or years. The family members could be young parents or a spouse married half a century. The conversation focuses on the patient's history and diagnosis, the gravity of the predicament, and the possible treatment options, outlining the possible benefits and harms.