Denying Death: The Terminally Critically Ill

Abstract

We describe a subgroup of the Chronically Critically Ill (CCI) we call the Terminally Critically Ill as demonstrated by terminally ill cancer patients. These cancer patients, though clearly terminally ill and with relatively short prognoses, can be kept alive for extended periods with medical interventions aimed at treating the complications of the cancer and cancer treatment. Such interventions can be painful, exhausting, costly and may interfere with attending to end of life concerns. We present a typical (composite) case and discuss ethical concerns regarding this growing subgroup of the chronically critically ill patients for whom death is routinely denied and delayed for extended periods.

Keywords: bioethics; critical care; end of life; ethics; palliative care; terminally ill.