RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The ethical and legal implications of deactivating an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator in a patient with terminal cancer
JF Journal of Medical Ethics
JO J Med Ethics
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Institute of Medical Ethics
SP 538
OP 540
DO 10.1136/jme.2006.017657
VO 33
IS 9
A1 England, Ruth
A1 England, Tim
A1 Coggon, John
YR 2007
UL http://jme.bmj.com/content/33/9/538.abstract
AB In this paper, the ethical and legal issues raised by the deactivation of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in patients with terminal cancer is considered. It is argued that the ICD cannot be well described either as a treatment or as a non-treatment option, and thus raises complex questions regarding how rules governing deactivation should be framed. A new category called “integral devices” is proposed. Integral devices require their own special rules, reflecting their position as a “halfway house” between a form of treatment and a part of the body. The practical problems faced by doctors working in palliative medicine with regard to the deactivation of ICDs are also considered.