Ethical dilemmas associated with pain management in a female patient with a femoral bone tumour. The role of the patient’s family in making treatment decisions in Poland

Abstract

We discuss the problem of the continuation of analgesic treatment in an 87-years-old woman with tumor of the right femur who suffered from very severe pain, but was unable to make her own decisions. Her son objected to the course of management proposed by the doctor and conflicting situation led to the discontinuation of treatment with strong opioids. The complexity of the situation reported here point to the necessity of taking advantage of the opportunity to turn to the guardianship courts for a ruling. Adv. Pall. Med. 2010; 9, 4: 135–140We discuss the problem of the continuation of analgesic treatment in an 87-years-old woman with tumor of the right femur who suffered from very severe pain, but was unable to make her own decisions. Her son objected to the course of management proposed by the doctor and conflicting situation led to the discontinuation of treatment with strong opioids. The complexity of the situation reported here point to the necessity of taking advantage of the opportunity to turn to the guardianship courts for a ruling. Adv. Pall. Med. 2010; 9, 4: 135–14