Mr. S is a 70-year-old man with end-stage COPD, admitted last month with pneumonia. His course was complicated by respiratory failure needing mechanical ventilation, and multiple efforts to wean him have been unsuccessful. Awake and alert, he now communicates through written notes that he wants the ventilator taken off.
What do you think his prognosis is? What else do you want to know before making this decision? If he is competent, will you honor his request?
The prognosis of full recovery from long-term mechanical ventilation is poor, particularly in patients like Mr. S with minimal pulmonary reserve. The approach to his request should start with an evaluation of his decision making capacity. Even though he is awake and alert, you should carefully probe the reasons for his request, with particular attention to making sure he understands the consequences of his decision. If you're concerned about depression or other mental illness affecting his thinking about this decision, you might request a psychiatry consultation. You should ask Mr. S if he's discussed this with his spouse or family. If his decision making capacity is intact, you should honor his request.
Mrs. H is a 62-year-old woman with metastatic breast cancer. She was admitted with dehydration and weakness. Her cancer treatments have failed, as she now has a recurrence. The oncologists are contemplating some new palliative chemotherapy. The nutrition team is concerned about her cachexia and recommends total parenteral nutrition (TPN).
Should the patient be started on TPN?
Patients with metastatic cancer often suffer from profound cachexia, attributable to the metabolic effects of their cancer and their inability to get adequate caloric intake from eating alone. TPN is able to provide protein and nonprotein nutrients to reverse the catabolic effects of illness. TPN has a number of potential complications, such as those related to infection from the central line catheter site.
In this case, you should carefully evaluate the goals of therapy as they relate to TPN. Is TPN likely to offer the patient any benefit? If her life expectancy can be prolonged with additional chemotherapy, it may be reasonable to give TPN to allow the patient to enjoy that benefit. If additional chemotherapy offers no substantial increase in quantity or quality of life, TPN could become another burden for the patient without any meaningful benefit, and ought to be withheld.