Depression and Capacity to Withdraw from Dialysis

Authors

Olivia Silva, Medical Student at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, in Washington, District of Columbia USA. olivia_silva@gwu.edu.
Diana Jaber, Medical Student at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, in Washington, District of Columbia USA.
Anthony Chiu, Medical Student at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, in Washington, District of Columbia USA.
Cyrus Adams-Mardi, Medical Student at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, in Washington, District of Columbia USA.
Edward Wicht, Chief in the Department of Psychiatry, VA Medical Center, in Washington, District of Columbia USA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

1-1-2022

Journal

The Journal of clinical ethics

Volume

33

Issue

3

Abstract

A patient with a history of bipolar II disorder and end-stage renal disease who required hemodialysis for five years abruptly wished to withdraw from dialysis on day seven of her hospital admission for a urinary tract infection. She had never discussed wishing to withdraw from dialysis prior to this hospital admission. She had experienced several symptoms of depression during her stay. Her desire to withdraw from dialysis treatment was discordant with her previously expressed desires, and the psychiatry team determined that her judgment was likely altered by her depressive episode. Given her previous positive response to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), the psychiatry team recommended that she receive ECT before she choose to withdraw from dialysis.

APA Citation

Silva, Olivia; Jaber, Diana; Chiu, Anthony; Adams-Mardi, Cyrus; and Wicht, Edward, "Depression and Capacity to Withdraw from Dialysis" (2022). GW Authored Works. Paper 1849.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/1849

Department

School of Medicine and Health Sciences Student Works