Dear Prof Wong,
I attended some of your talks in Singapore, and work as a volunteer with
hospice patients and would like to find out your views on
The Terminally Ill patient and Medical Futility
--
May you be well, happy, peaceful.
With Gratitude,
..................................
Dear Bro,
The basic principle behind treatment is
1. To Comfort ALWAYS
2. To Relieve OFTEN
3. To Cure Sometimes
Hence in the treatment of the terminally ill patients, WE MUST ALWAYS ASSURE
THE PATIENT AND FAMILY THAT EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO MAKE THE PATIENT MORE
COMFORTABLE *PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY* WILL BE DONE.
All patients must be assured right from the start that they will NOT be in
terrible pain, this is a common BIG fear.
Wisdom must always come next.... are we prolonging LIFE or are we
prolonging the DYING process??
With terminal illness, nature lets you die with
When further attempts at chemotherapy is obviously and statistically futile,
common sense must take over, however we MUST NEVER destroy Hope....
always give the patient HOPE for a better tomorrow even if it is comfort in
the arms of morphia.
Doctors and attending medical personal are NOT TECHNICIANS, the late
Professor TJ Danaraj used to teach us that while it is likely possible that we can even
train a monkey to do brain surgery, we cannot train it when to do it and
even more important "when NOT to do it".
Medicine is first and foremost an ART.... and the issues of dealing with the terminally ill patient requires the ART of Medicine at its finest!
Doctors had been practising in awareness of
1. *quantitative futility*, where the likelihood that an intervention
will benefit the patient is exceedingly poor, and
2. *qualitative futility*, where the quality of benefit an intervention
will produce is exceedingly poor. "
for a long time. It requires Wisdom, Compassion and Knowledge.
The most important aspect is the Peace and Comfort of the Mind; while the
Body will inevitably be sick, the Mind need NOT be.
metta,
dr wong
hospice patients and would like to find out your views on
The Terminally Ill patient and Medical Futility
--
May you be well, happy, peaceful.
With Gratitude,
..........................
Dear Bro,
The basic principle behind treatment is
1. To Comfort ALWAYS
2. To Relieve OFTEN
3. To Cure Sometimes
Hence in the treatment of the terminally ill patients, WE MUST ALWAYS ASSURE
THE PATIENT AND FAMILY THAT EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO MAKE THE PATIENT MORE
COMFORTABLE *PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY* WILL BE DONE.
All patients must be assured right from the start that they will NOT be in
terrible pain, this is a common BIG fear.
Wisdom must always come next.... are we prolonging LIFE or are we
prolonging the DYING process??
With terminal illness, nature lets you die with
abbreviated suffering, medicine (doctors) lets you
suffer with protracted dying.
PROF KK Toh
When further attempts at chemotherapy is obviously and statistically futile,
common sense must take over, however we MUST NEVER destroy Hope....
always give the patient HOPE for a better tomorrow even if it is comfort in
the arms of morphia.
Doctors and attending medical personal are NOT TECHNICIANS, the late
Professor TJ Danaraj used to teach us that while it is likely possible that we can even
train a monkey to do brain surgery, we cannot train it when to do it and
even more important "when NOT to do it".
Medicine is first and foremost an ART.... and the issues of dealing with the terminally ill patient requires the ART of Medicine at its finest!
Doctors had been practising in awareness of
1. *quantitative futility*, where the likelihood that an intervention
will benefit the patient is exceedingly poor, and
2. *qualitative futility*, where the quality of benefit an intervention
will produce is exceedingly poor. "
for a long time. It requires Wisdom, Compassion and Knowledge.
The most important aspect is the Peace and Comfort of the Mind; while the
Body will inevitably be sick, the Mind need NOT be.
metta,
dr wong
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