Update on ethical issues in pediatric dialysis: Has pediatric dialysis become morally obligatory?

Aaron G. Wightman, Michael A. Freeman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

26 Scopus citations

Abstract

Improvements in pediatric dialysis over the past 50 years have made the decision to proceed with dialysis straightforward for the majority of pediatric patients. For certain groups, however, such as children withmultiple comorbid conditions, children and familieswith fewsocial and economic resources, and neonates and infants, the decision of whether to proceedwith dialysis remainsmuchmore controversial. In this review, we will examine the best available data regarding the outcomes of dialysis in these populations and analyze the important ethical considerations that should guide decisions regarding dialysis for these patients.We conclude that providers must continue to follow a nuanced and individualized approach in decisionmaking for each child and to recognize that, regardless of the decision reached about dialysis, there is a continued duty to care for patients and families to maximize the remaining quality of their lives.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1456-1462
Number of pages7
JournalClinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology
Volume11
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - 2016

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Epidemiology
  • Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine
  • Nephrology
  • Transplantation

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