The I.C.U. Is Not a Pause Button

August 28, 2015

(The New York Times) – His wife and children were talking about making his status “do not resuscitate/do not intubate,” but they hadn’t decided, and they were waiting for a son who lived far away to weigh in. And it was the weekend. Staffing was low in the I.C.U.; no attending physician was present; and things were on pause. Except of course they weren’t. The patient was living through these hours and days, mask on, mask off, a feeding tube in his nose, IVs in his arms, having his dry mouth sponged, his throat suctioned, defecating and being cleaned up. He was alive, and while he wasn’t in pain, he wasn’t passing the time pleasantly.