A Weekly Roundup of News, Features and Commentary : 80% of Doctors Favor Death ‘With Dignity’

Nearly 80% of U.S. physicians favor withdrawing life-support systems from hopelessly ill or irreversibly comatose patients if the patients or their families request it, according to a survey results released last week.

“There comes the time with the terminally ill or irreversibly comatose patient that the physician must step back and, at the patient’s or the family’s request, allow the patient to die with dignity,” said Dr. James H. Sammons, executive vice president of the American Medical Assn., which conducted the survey.

About 1,000 doctors were asked: “Would you favor or oppose withdrawing life-support systems, including food and water, from hopelessly ill or irreversibly comatose patients if they or their families request it?”

Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed answered “favor strongly,” 20% “favor,” 5% “oppose,” 10% “oppose strongly” and 7% “unsure.”

Ninety percent said doctors should initiate discussions with patients or families on the use or withdrawal of life-support treatment while 7% said they should not.