Provision of renal care for patients with end stage kidney disease in persistent vegetative state, in United Arab Emirates: a national survey of renal physicians

ABSTRACTPatients with end stage kidney disease(ESKD) with severely impaired cognitive function have no survival benefit from dialysis. We therefore undertook a survey to explore the renal physicians’ practices of withholding and withdrawal of dialysistreatment in vegetative state patients in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A cross sectional survey of 29 nephrologypractices in UAE exploring physicians’ practices in making decisions of withholding and withdrawal of dialysistreatment during provision end-of- life carefor patients in persistent vegetative state (PVS).The majority of participants practice in governmental non-for-profit dialysisunits (79%), and think they are well prepared to make decision with patients and family on issues of dialysiswithdrawal and withholding (69%). If a chronic dialysispatient became permanently unconscious only few respondents (17%) indicated probability of stopping dialysis. On the other hand, more respondents (48%) reported that dialysisis likely to be withheld in...