Renal replacement therapy is the usual standard of care for patients with end-stage renal failure (ESRF). This treatment, which includes peritoneal and haemodialysis, is the means to prolong life in ESRF patents.
Singer reported that physicians withheld dialysis more than they withdrew it. Yet, research on dialysis abatement has mainly been on the withdrawal of dialysis. In an
Australian study by Micheal Ashby, the desire not to burden others and the personal experience of a deteriorating quality of life were crucial elements in the decision to stop or decline dialysis.
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