Don't pull the plug: Shocking study finds many patients on life support recover
(STUDY FINDS) -- The decision to take a loved one off life support is one of the most gut-wrenching and traumatizing choices someone can make. While doctors often give families a grim prognosis when their relative is hospitalized with a severe traumatic brain injury, a new study is providing a shocking ray of hope. Researchers…
The post Don't pull the plug: Shocking study finds many patients on life support recover appeared first on WND.
(STUDY FINDS) -- The decision to take a loved one off life support is one of the most gut-wrenching and traumatizing choices someone can make. While doctors often give families a grim prognosis when their relative is hospitalized with a severe traumatic brain injury, a new study is providing a shocking ray of hope.
Researchers at Mass General Brigham have a simple message: don’t rush to make a decision when it comes to ending life-sustaining treatment. Their findings show that families are often asked to make a life-or-death decision before signs of a recovery are able to emerge.
Specifically, the new study explains that families are often asked to decide if doctors should withdraw life support measures, including removing mechanical breathing tubes, within 72 hours of a family member’s injury. To put it bluntly, from the time someone’s loved one suffers a severe brain injury, hospitals typically give their next of kin just three days to decide if there’s any hope they’ll recover. The Mass General Brigham team finds that’s simply not enough time, and people could be pressured into “pulling the plug” on relatives who would actually live!
The post Don't pull the plug: Shocking study finds many patients on life support recover appeared first on WND.