A 75-year-old man with severe dementia, recurrent aspiration pneumonia, and complete dependence for all activities of daily living is admitted to ICU ...

Question

A 75-year-old man with severe dementia, recurrent aspiration pneumonia, and complete dependence for all activities of daily living is admitted to ICU with respiratory failure. He has no ADRT or LPA. His family states he 'would not want to live like this.' The ICU team and the medical team agree that ICU admission offers no realistic benefit. The family asks the consultant to explain the concept of 'futility' in medical treatment. What is the correct understanding?

Accepted Answer

A treatment is considered futile when it cannot achieve its intended physiological goal or when the burdens of treatment clearly outweigh any potential benefits - clinicians are not ethically or legally obliged to provide futile treatment

Answer

Futility means the treatment is too expensive

Answer

Futility is a term used only by lawyers

Answer

All treatments must always be offered regardless of their potential to benefit the patient

Answer

Futility can only be determined by the Court of Protection

uk-fficm MCQ (SBA): Medical Futility