A study, part-funded by the MND Association, looking at the legal and ethical issues surrounding the withdrawal of ventilation support at the request of a patient with MND has been published in the journal BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care.
Motor neurone disease (MND) can cause weakness in the chest muscles involved in breathing. Ventilation support allows a person to breathe more efficiently, can help improve quality of life and also extend survival. The most common form of ventilation support for people with MND is non-invasive ventilation (NIV), though invasive ventilation – tracheostomy is also used. More information on respiratory management can be found here.
A team from the University Hospital Leicester and the Leicestershire and Rutland Hospice (LOROS), led by Professor Christina Faull, interviewed doctors with a range of specialities about their experiences of withdrawal of ventilation support at the request of a patient with MND.
Professor Faull commented:
“A person who has MND can decline ventilation support, and in law a refusal of a medical treatment by someone with capacity for that decision must be respected and complied with.
“Withdrawing a medical treatment that their patient no longer wants, such as ventilation, even if life is shortened thereby, is not assisted dying.”
From the study it emerged that healthcare professionals need more guidance surrounding withdrawal of ventilation support, particularly for patients who have MND.
When asked about development of such guidance for professionals, Professor Faull said:
“I am working on this in conjunction with the Association for Palliative Medicine, with support from the MND Association. We hope this will be published in autumn 2015.”
More information on this study can be found on the MND Association’s research and ReCCoB blogs.
