Sunday, July 19, 2009

DNR

During my residency I had to rotate for a month in Pediatrics. (Personally I always found pediatrics emotionally so overwhelming that I decided not to choose it as my career).

We had one 5 year old child in our service who survived the resuscitation efforts but became machine dependent due to severe anoxic encephelopathy. Child was often getting admitted from home due to different infections. During my rotation, our attending tried to speak to parents to make child DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) in case of any other catastrophy but parents had hard time making any such  decision. At that time, I was a young blood and full of logic. I could not comprehend the stupid stubbornness of parents.

Now when I am a father of 2 healthy kids - it always run shiver through my spine even thinking of being in such situation. Now I can completely understand the heart of those parents who once had that healthy smiling kid in their arms. Now I know, how hard it is to say goodbye to your own child and to sign that DNR papers.

5 comments:

karrvakarela said...

Thank you for sharing this. As a resident, it's difficult telling parents their child has leukemia or diabetes or any chronic disease. It's always difficult to find words. I'm not a parent so I can't imagine what they go through.

Insha-Allah, khair.

mystic said...

Thanks...I appreciate your input,,,,

I hope you are surviving yr residency....

bsc said...

Ah, parents and their painful situations for children.
Soon, an article will be published in the Journal of Islamic Medical Association (of N. A.)
This concerns the Islamic position regarding DNR. I am going to make some comments myself and I had this very idea in my mind, Mystic, to make Muslims aware of these decisions for newborns and young ones. Yes, the pain. Remember when Ibraheem RA (son of the prophet PBUH) died, how tears were flowing from his eyes.

mystic said...

Thanks...

Do they have internet edition of Journal of Islamic Medical Association?

bsc said...

You may have to wait we are just giving finishing touches to put the articles on the internet inshallah