Treatment refusal is a common encounter in clinical practice. The process of deciding to refuse treatment is often complex. It is our responsibility to try and understand this process of decision making and the underlying reasons for treatment refusal. Many of these reasons are often rational in the context where the decision is made. The patients could be making the best decision for themselves even if these decisions are not necessarily the best in our mind. We should at all times discuss our treatment options and assess their ability to make decisions in achieving common goals. These goals should balance our best treatment strategies and the patients’ best interest. This article discusses the reasons underlying treatment refusal and how we can achieve a common goal with our patients.
Patients ; decision ; Treatment Refusal ; therapeutic aspects ; treatment options

A total or 76 patients of erectile dysfunction were treated with intracorporeal self-injection of Papaverine hydrochloride(30mg/ml) and Phentolamine mesylate(1mg/ml) from Feb. 1986 to Aug. 1988. The results were obtained as follows: 1. The average patient age was 48.1 years, with a range of 26 to 72 years. The etiology of impotence were psychogenic in dosages patients (47.4 %), vasculogenic in 32 (42.1 %) and neurogenic in 4 (5.3%). 2. The average effective dosages were 0.44ml in psychogenic impotence, 0.69ml in vasculogenic and 0.16ml in neurogenic. 3. The erection time was 60 minutes in 14 (70.0%) out of 20 psychogenic impotence, 30-60minutes in 8 (50.0% ) out of 16 vasculogenic and 90-120 minutes in all neurogenic. 4. The durations of treatment were 1-3months in 12 patients (33.3% ) and 12-24months in 7(19. 5%). The average duration of treatment was 6.9months. 5. Complications included priapism in 7 patients, subcutaneous hematoma in 2, induration of injection site in 1 and fibrous plaque on cavernosal body in 1. 6. Of the 76 patients, 40 patients discontinued injection due to improved potency in 14 patients, penile prosthesis in 4, refusal of treatment in 3 and failure to follow-up in 19. Therefore, intracorporeal self-injection of Papaverine hydrochloride and Phentolamine mesylate seems to be safe and effective primary choice of treatment for selective impotence.
Erectile Dysfunction* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Male ; Papaverine* ; Penile Prosthesis ; Phentolamine* ; Priapism ; Treatment Refusal

Humans ; Patient Compliance ; Patient Participation ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; methods ; Treatment Refusal

The Korean medical establishment has traditionally shown little concern for formal training in medical ethics; only recently have courses in medical ethics been included in the curricula of Korea's medical schools. The importance and effectiveness of such courses is still a matter of some debate. This study attempted to measure the effects of a course in medical ethics on senior medical students. For this study, a discussion based course was designed, which made considerable use of video-taped ethical situations. Students were requested to answer a series of ethics related questions both before and after taking the course. Prior to taking the course, students indicated that treatment refusal, abortion, sex pre-selection, and euthanasia are the most important ethical issues in contemporary medical practice in Korea. However, after taking the course, students modified this list slightly by replacing the issue of euthanasia with that of equal access to health care resources. No significant changes were observed in students' value systems. The students' response to the course was favorable.
Curriculum ; Ethical Theory ; Ethics ; Ethics, Medical* ; Euthanasia ; Health Services Accessibility ; Humans ; Korea ; Schools, Medical ; Students, Medical* ; Treatment Refusal

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the characteristics of suicidal attempters, including pre-hospital patients and those who visited the emergency department. METHODS: Suicidal attempters who had been reported to the 119 call center were selected between July 2015 and June 2016. Sex, age, place, methods of suicidal attempt, season, time, and suicide success rate were reviewed in the fire center records. RESULTS: A total 961 suicide attempters were enrolled. Among them, 53.6% were males who had an approximately 2.6 times higher mortality than that of females (9.2%). The most preferred place to commit suicide was the home in both sexes (68.0% in male, 82.8% in female) and the most preferred methods was drug intoxication, particularly pesticide. The method with the highest mortality was hanging and the lowest was self-harm. The season of the highest mortality was spring. The success of suicide and the time variation were similar. Most of the un-transferred patients also selected fatal suicide attempts compared to transfer patients. CONCLUSION: Unlike previous studies, this study includes information on un-transferred patients. Overall, the probability of death was highest as more than 50 years men chose hanging as a method, which had an influence on the un-transferred patients group.
Emergency Medical Services ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Fires ; Gangwon-do* ; Humans ; Male ; Methods ; Mortality ; Seasons ; Suicide* ; Treatment Refusal

PURPOSE: This study is a prospective randomized clinical trial comparing the efficacy and complication of anti-emetic drugs for prevention of nausea and vomiting after radiotherapy which has moderate emetogenic potential. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the anti-emetic efficacy of ondansetron (Zofran(R)) 8 mg bid dose (Group O) is better than the efficacy of metoclopramide 5 mg tid dose (Group M) in patients undergoing fractionated radiotherapy to the abdominal region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Study entry was restricted to those patients who met the following eligibility criteria: histologically confirmed malignant disease; no distant metastasis; performance status of not more than ECOG grade 2; no previous chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Between March 1997 and February 1998, 60 patients enrolled in this study. All patients signed a written statement of informed consent prior to enrollment. Blinding was maintained by dosing identical number of tablets including one dose of matching placebo for Group O. The extent of nausea, appetite loss, and the number of emetic episodes were recorded everyday using diary card. The mean score of nausea, appetite loss and the mean number of emetic episodes were obtained in a weekly interval. RESULTS: Prescription error occurred in one patient. And diary cards have not returned in 3 patients due to premature refusal of treatment. Card from one patient was excluded from the analysis because she had a history of treatment for neurosis. As a result, the analysis consisted of 55 patients. Patient characteristics and radiotherapy charcteristics were similar except mean age was 52.9+/-11.2 in group M, 46.5+/-9.6 in group O. The difference of age was statistically significant. The mean score of nausea, appetite loss and emetic episodes in a weekly interval was higher in group M than O. In group M, the symptoms were most significant at 5th week. In a panel data analysis using mixed procedure, treatment group was only significant factor detecting the difference of weekly score for all three symptoms. Ondansetron (Zofran ) 8 mg bid dose and metoclopramide 5 mg tid dose were well tolerated without significant side effects. There were no clinically important changes in vital signs or clinical laboratory parameters with either drug. CONCLUSION: Concerning the fact that patients with younger age have higher emetogenic potential, there are possibilities that age difference between two treatment groups lowered the statistical power of analysis. There were significant difference favoring ondansetron group with respect to the severity of nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite. We concluded that ondansetron is more effective anti-emetic agents in the control of radiotherapy-induced nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite without significant toxicity, compared with commonly used drug, i.e., metoclopramide. However, there were patients suffering emesis despite the administration of ondansetron. The possible strategies to improve the prevention and the treatment of radiotherapy-induced emesis must be further studied.
Appetite ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Metoclopramide* ; Nausea* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Ondansetron* ; Prescriptions ; Prospective Studies* ; Radiotherapy* ; Statistics as Topic ; Tablets ; Treatment Refusal ; Vital Signs ; Vomiting*

Case management interventions for suicide attempters aimed at helping adjust their social life to prevent reattempts have high nonparticipation and dropout rates. We analyzed the clinical characteristics of the group who refused to participate in the suicide prevention program in Korea. A total of 489 patients with a suicide attempt who visited Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, the Catholic University of Korea, from December 2009 to December 2013 were analyzed. All patients were divided into the participation group (n = 262) and the refusal group (n = 227) according to their participation in the case management program. Demographic and clinical characteristics of each group were examined. Results showed that the refusal group had low risks for suicide in terms of risk factors related with psychopathologies and presenting suicide behavior. That is, the refusal group had less patients with co-morbid medical illnesses and more patients with mild severity of depression compared to the participation group. However, the refusal group had more interpersonal conflict, more isolation of social integrity, and more impaired insight about suicide attempt. The results suggest that nonparticipation in the case management program may depend upon the patient's impaired insight about the riskiness of suicide and lack of social support.
Adult ; Case Management ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mental Disorders/diagnosis/*psychology ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea ; Suicide, Attempted/*prevention & control/*psychology ; Treatment Refusal/*psychology

PURPOSE: A single institute trial of combination chemotherapy, with paclitaxel and cisplatin, in patients with metastatic breast cancer, having failed previous combination chemotherapy, was performed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were only eligible for this study if there disease had progressed, following treatment with previous chemotherapy, in either an adjuvant or a metastatic setting. Paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 was administered as a 3-hour continuous infusion on day 1, and cisplatin 80 mg/m2 was administered for 2 hours on day 2, with adequate hydration. This was repeated every 3 weeks, and continued until one of the following events occurred: disease progression, unacceptable adverse effect or treatment refusal by the patient. Intercurrent palliative radiotherapy, or concurrent hormonal therapy, was permitted, depending on each patient's status. All the endpoints were evaluated under the principle of intention to treat analysis. RESULTS: A total of 24 patients entered the study, and 18 had at least one measurable lesion, but 6 did not. The objective response rate of the 18 patients was 50%(9/18). Two were complete responses and seven showed partial responses. The median response duration, progression free and overall survival were 5.3 months (range, 4~18), 6 months (95% CI, 5~7) and 12 months (95% CI, 7~17), respectively. 67% of the planned dose was administered. Out of a total 135 cycles administered, about 20% of cycles showed grade 3 or 4 leukopenia and 7% showed grade 3 thrombocytopenia. Two patients suffered from pneumonia, and one experienced neutropenic fever. Mucositis, greater than grade 3, existed in three cases. No treatment related deaths were reported. CONCLUSION: The combination chemotherapy, with paclitaxel and cisplatin, was active in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer patients having failed previous chemotherapy.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Cisplatin* ; Disease Progression ; Drug Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination* ; Fever ; Humans ; Intention to Treat Analysis ; Leukopenia ; Mucositis ; Paclitaxel* ; Pneumonia ; Radiotherapy ; Thrombocytopenia ; Treatment Refusal

PURPOSE: A prospective, randomized phase III, clinical trial was performed to assess treatment related acute toxicity, early response and survival difference, between a monthly 5-FU cisplatin, and a weekly cisplatin group alone, for concurrent chemoradiotherapy in the locally advanced uterine cervical carcinoma patients. MATERIALS AND METGODS: Between March 1998 and March 2000, 35 patients, with locally advanced (FIGO stage IIB to IVA) cervical carcinoma, were studied, but 5 patients were excluded inform the analysis due to their refusal of treatment. The patients were randomly assigned to 'monthly 5-FU cisplatin' (arm I), or 'weekly cisplatin' (arm II), groups. The patients of arm I received 5-FU cisplatin (5-FU 1,000 mg/m2/day cisplatin 20 mg/m2/day, IV continuous infusion, for 5 days, 3 cycles with 4-week intervals) with radiation therapy. Those of arm II received only cisplatin (cisplatin 30 mg/m2/day, IV bolus, 6 cycles with 1-week intervals) with radiation therapy. The radiation therapy consisted of external beam irradiation of 41.4~50.4 Gy/23~28 fractions, and high dose rate intracavitary treatments, delivering a dose of 30~35 Gy to point A in 6~7 fractions. During intracavitary radiation, a parametrial boost was delivered for a point B dose of 60 Gy in the non-thickened side, and 65 Gy in the thickened side. Treatment related acute toxicities were assessed using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) acute morbidity scoring criteria. The response to treatment, and survival, were analyzed. The median follow-up period was 19 months. RESULTS: The FIGO stage distributions of arm I (n=16) and arm II (n=14) were as follows; IIB 10, IIIA 1, IIIB 4, IVA 1 in arm I, 12, 0, 1 and 1 in arm II respectively. The compliance of both arms were 80.0% and 93.3%, respectively (p=0.37). During radiation therapy, the incidences of leukopenia, greater than RTOG grade 2, were 25.0%, 14.3%, respectively. There were no patients with gastrointestinal or genitourinary toxicity greater than RTOG grade 2. The complete response rates at 3 months, following radiation therapy, were 87.5% and 92.9% respectively. Two-year disease free survival rates were 81.3%, 85.7%, respectively, for each arms. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in response to treatment, or patterns of failure, between the monthly FP and weekly cisplatin arms. Although there were no statistically significant differences, the patients of the weekly cisplatin arm had better compliance. More patients, and a longer follow up, are needed for improved evaluation of the regimen.
Arm ; Cervix Uteri* ; Chemoradiotherapy* ; Cisplatin ; Compliance ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leukopenia ; Prospective Studies* ; Radiotherapy ; Treatment Refusal ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Discharge against medical advice (DAMA) conflicts with the purpose of disease treatment in children. Some research has shown that there are high proportions of extremely preterm infants and infants with asphyxia or congenital malformation in neonates with DAMA. This suggests that the sustainable development of neonatology needs cooperation and co-development with obstetrics, neonatal surgery, and radiology to reduce the rate of DAMA. With reference to the current status of research in both China and other countries, this article reviews the causes for DAMA and the strategies for reducing the rate of DAMA, in order to provide a theoretical basis for effectively reducing the rate of DAMA from the neonatal intensive care unit, improving treatment outcomes of the neonates, and increasing hospitals' comprehensive benefits.
Ethics, Medical ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Insurance, Health ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; Patient Discharge ; Prenatal Care ; Treatment Refusal