How do you counsel patients who are concerned that discontinuation of certain chronic medications may actually perpetuate suffering at the end of life?

Do you ever continue medications such as rate-control agents for tachyarrhythmias, anticoagulation for blood clots, immunosuppression to prevent transplant rejection, etc., for symptom control?

Answer from: at Academic Institution

Great question, and it’s very nuanced. I’ll share how I typically approach this based on my experience. In the end-of-life care setting, when I review a medication list, I go through every single one and ask: “What is the purpose of this medication in this particular case?&rdqu...

Comments

at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
I think this makes a lot of sense. I would also su...

at University of California San Francisco
Excellent summary, thank you!

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How do you counsel patients who are concerned that discontinuation of certain chronic medications may actually perpetuate suffering at the end of life?

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