Doctor withheld artificial respiration without consent
The Yomiuri Shimbun

A neurologist in Nagaokakyo, Kyoto Prefecture, contravened a Japanese Society of Neurology guideline by withholding artificial respiration from a terminally ill patient, without her consent, resulting in the patient's death in October 2006, it was learned Friday.

The patient was the doctor's mother-in-law.

The woman was suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis--a disease that slowly renders the whole body unable to move as muscles waste away.

The doctor submitted an article to the May issue of a medical journal Shinkei-Naika (Neurological Medicine) reporting details of the incident. He says uniformly requiring all patients to decide whether or not they want to receive artificial respiration is an inappropriate measure.

According to the doctor, the woman's symptoms first appeared in 2003, when she was 59. Although informed of the name of the disease at a hospital, she was not given information about artificial respiration. She later received treatment at home, during which time the doctor took charge of her case.

The family decided not to give her artificial respiration, and also decided not to inform her about their decision, nor about the possibility of administering artificial respiration. The doctor said: "I understood there would be severe criticism. However, the family considered what was best for the patient, and had a difficult time making the decision."

Dr. Takashi Imai of Miyagi National Hospital of the National Hospital Organization, was one of those involved in drawing up the guideline. He said: "The guideline does not have binding force. However, in general, a patient's right to know should take priority over others' right not to inform them."

"Patients also have a right to choose whether they want to entrust their treatment to doctors, or to decide themselves which treatment they prefer," Imai added.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national...04TDY04004.htm