End-of-life attitudes in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) amongst final year medical students at International Medical University, Malaysia

Abstract

With recent medical advances and the availability of newer sophisticated technologies, critically ill patients tend to survive longer.1 Thus, decisions to forgo life-sustaining medical treatment generate challenging issues that all doctors must face.2 The aim of this pilot study was to assess attitudes towards end-of-life care in ICU which included futile therapy (withholding and withdrawing therapy) among final year medical students who had received the same degree of clinical exposure and training in medical school. The results revealed varying attitudes and views towards end-of-life care in ICU suggesting other factors such as religion, ethnicity and culture may influence decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]