--- title: "The dying thoracic patient. | Sutter Health" description: "A nonconfrontational, sympathetic, and compassionate approach to family members and legal surrogates facing the immediate death of their loved ones leads to the best possible outcome." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/dying-thoracic-patient-1055312967" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Research](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research) / 3. [Research publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications) / 4. The dying thoracic patient. # The dying thoracic patient. Krishna G & Raffin TA. _Chest Surg Clin N Am. 8(3):723-39._ 1998-08-01 ## Abstract Health care providers should understand that the practice of good medicine includes not only diagnosing and curing diseases, but also effectively communicating with patients and families and helping terminally ill patients die a peaceful and dignified death. Patients in America come from varied backgrounds, and it is important for physicians to consider cultural and religious issues. Physicians should combine their clinical judgment with objective outcome data to provide optimal care for patients. Informed consent should be obtained from patients after offering a detailed plan of care that would include appropriate interventions and the consequences of no intervention. The physician should then assist the patient in making a decision that would provide the best possible future for that individual. The four fundamental principles of biomedical ethics, namely beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice, should be considered when analyzing an ethical problem. Voluntary active euthanasia, which means performing a deliberate act (e.g., administering a lethal injection) to end a patient's life, should not be performed by a physician. Withholding and withdrawing basic and advanced life support constitutes passive euthanasia. Good communication with patients early in the clinical course whenever possible results in an ethically correct decision. A nonconfrontational, sympathetic, and compassionate approach to family members and legal surrogates facing the immediate death of their loved ones leads to the best possible outcome. It is the duty of the physician to assure the patient and the family that he or she will not abandon the patient. Effective communication is the key to solving almost all ethical dilemmas when caring for the dying thoracic patient. [PubMed abstract](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9742345) ![Ganesh Krishna, M.D., FCCP](https://dyn.mktgcdn.com/p/7HZoN6h0d4phO4VQYcU6TE-_Cn72_cBpIS3NRGru51E/fit=crop,gravity=auto,dpr=2,width=188,height=250,quality=100) Ganesh Krishna, M.D., FCCP Principal investigator [View profile](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/investigators/ganesh-krishna-md-fccp-1049681082) ## Research topics - [Disease Management](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Disease+Management%5C%22%22) - [Lung Diseases](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Lung+Diseases%5C%22%22) ## Related publications [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) - Publication ### [Parasitic pulmonary eosinophilia.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/parasitic-pulmonary-eosinophilia-1055312949) Chitkara RK, Krishna G. Semin Respir Crit Care Med. 27(2):171-84. 2006 Apr 01 - Publication ### [PG490-88, a derivative of triptolide, blocks bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/pg490-88-blocks-bleomycin-induced-lung-fibrosis-1055312795) Krishna G, Liu K, Shigemitsu H, Gao M, Raffin TA, Rosen GD. Am J Pathol. 158(3):997-1004. 2001 Mar 01 - Publication ### [A 35-year-old man with fever, dyspnea, and diffuse reticular opacities.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/35-yo-man-fever-dyspnea-reticular-oopacities-1055312816) Katikireddy CK, Krishna G, Keifer T, Kuschner W, Rosen G. Chest. 129(2):482-7. 2006 Feb 01 - Publication ### [New therapies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/new-therapies-copd-1055312955) Krishna G, Sankaranarayanan V, Chitkara RK. Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 13(3):255-67. 2004 Mar 01 - Publication ### [Transbronchial Cryobiopsies for the Diagnosis of Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Diseases: Expert Statement from the Cryobiopsy Working Group on Safety and Utility and a Call for Standardization of the Procedure.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/transbronchial-cryobx-dx-diffuse-parenchymal-lung-diseases-1055312384) Hetzel J, Maldonado F, Ravaglia C, Wells AU, Colby TV, Tomassetti S, Ryu JH, Fruchter O, Piciucchi S, Dubini A, Cavazza A, Chilosi M, Sverzellati N, Valeyre D, Leduc D, Walsh SLF, Gasparini S, Hetzel M, Hagmeyer L, Haentschel M, Eberhardt R, Darwiche K, Yarmus LB, Torrego A, Krishna G, Shah PL, Annema JT, Herth FJF, Poletti V. Respiration. doi: 10.1159/000484055. \[Epub ahead of print\] 2018 Jan 09 [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/dying-thoracic-patient-1055312967#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Research","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Research publications","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"The dying thoracic patient."}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalScholarlyArticle","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/dying-thoracic-patient-1055312967#medicalscholarlyarticle","name":"The dying thoracic patient.","headline":"The dying thoracic patient.","abstract":"Health care providers should understand that the practice of good medicine includes not only diagnosing and curing diseases, but also effectively communicating with patients and families and helping terminally ill patients die a peaceful and dignified death. 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