Is ‘comfort’ care a ‘medical’ care? Observations on a neonatal population

摘要

The developments of science and medical technology have contributed to the survival of an increasing number of critically ill newborns. However, when the impossibility of survival becomes apparent, a new risk emerges: that of abandoning the patient. Infants diagnosed with congenital lethal conditions or terminally ill do not longer benefit traditional intensive care, therefore a different plan of medical care is warranted. A novel and personalized management for this population, defined ‘comfort care’, is proposed. This paper offers some relevant observations arising from a 3-year experience of comfort care management in a tertiary Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, through clinical cases.