All issues > Volume 31(2); 1988

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1988;31(2):227-233. Published online February 28, 1988.

Survey on Pediatrician's Reactions in Management of Terminal Patients.

Keun Lee¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans Univeristy, Seoul, Korea

Received: September 23, 1987;

Abstract

To evaluate the emothional reactions and problems of pediatricians who treat the terminally ill patients, the pediatric staffs and residents in 56 traning hospitals were surveyed with a questionnaire. Total of 331 responded and the results of data were analyzed: 1) There were more males (62.7%) than females (37.3%) and the majority was residents in training (76.6%). 2) 36.6% of respondents took care of one to 10 terminal patients a year. 3) 57.4% said “no” to informing the patients about diagnosis and prognosis. 4) “Feeling helpless for being unable to cure the patient” was the most common (57.9%) reactions pediatricians feel in the management of critically ill patients. 5) “Empathy and identifications toward patients or his families” was expressed by 78.9% of respondents. 6) 61% had conversations with collegaues regarding his own emotions. 7) In the future, majority (66.0%) wanted education about psychodynamics of terminal patient and his family during pediatric residency. 8) The most common problem arising in the care of terminal patients was financial difficulty of patients. One of the solution would be team approach involving nurse, social worker, psychiatriest and religious counselor who specialize in the care of terminal patients, so that not only the patient and his family can get help from various member of the team but the physician himself can benifit from the team.

Keywords :Terminal patients, Pediatricians reactions