The Ethics of Discontinuing Dialysis

Lewis M. Cohen, MD, examines the true story of two renal nurses at Baystate Medical Center (Springfield, MA) who were investigated for murder in 2001 after a nursing assistant accused them of causing the death of a patient. The patient was a woman in her 60s with multiple comorbidities; she and her family chose to stop her dialysis treatment and continue with palliative care only. The nursing assistant approached the district attorney's office with her allegations, and a full murder investigation was launched. Renal & Urology News