How do intensivists treat their patients, their loved ones and themselves? Results of a survey of intensivists facing an evolving hypothetical clinical scenario.

AIM:Prognostication and decisions regarding ineffectiveness of treatment remain challenging for clinicians and are some of the most difficult yet understudied aspects of clinical medicine. We sought to explore what management intensivists would advocate for a patient, for themselves or for a loved one at different points in an evolving hypothetical clinical scenario of a critically ill patient admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). METHOD:An online survey was constructed and was circulated to fellows of the College of Intensive Care Medicine (CICM) of Australia and New Zealand. Participants were presented with an evolving hypothetical clinical scenario of a patient admitted to ICU following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) at four time-points (day 3,7,14 and 28) during their conceptual ICU stay. RESULTS:One hundred and twenty-six CICM fellows participated. Survey responses revealed significant differences in the proportion of respondents that would advocate for aggressive treatment, conservative management or withdrawal of treatment for themselves compared to patients; for a family member as compared to a patient at several time points. CONCLUSIONS:The management that intensivists would advocate for patients differs from the management that they would advocate for their loved ones and themselves.