Historically, stopping DIALYSIS was considered by many to be a form of suicide. However, it is now a widely accepted practice in most countries, with broad ethical and legal consensus that dialysis can be stopped when it is no longer achieving a meaningful goal for the patient. In fact, approximately 25% of deaths of dialysis patients in North America occur after its cessation. This Fast Fact reviews key issues pertaining to the decision to stop chronic dialysis; Fast Fact #208 discusses the care of patients after it is stopped.
展开▼
