| Enacting death in the intensive care unit: medical technology and the multiple ontologies of death. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 19841020 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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This article explores various ways health personnel enact death in connection with mechanical ventilation treatment withdrawal in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Trondheim University Hospital. The main focus is on sedated terminal patients who undergo mechanical ventilator treatment withdrawal and relatives' presence at this time. Mol's (2002) praxiographic orientation of the actor-network approach is followed while exploring this medical practice. Utilizing this interdisciplinary science and technology studies approach this article describes what Timmermans and Berg (2003) have called ' technology-in-practice'. Thus the main focus of the analysis is on medical interventions, and enactments of death within medical practice. The article argues against a 'social essentialist' approach to medical technology, which views technology as a passive force empowered by social relations. It explores how various enactments of death are intrinsically linked with and shaped by the use of medical technology within clinical practice. A praxiographic inquiry into how death is enacted carefully takes notice of how medical practice and techniques make death audible, tangible, visible, knowable and real. Mol's praxiographic approach also enables a description of how the multiple enactments of death connect within end-of-life care through various forms of coordination. This article is based on interviews with 28 nurses and two physicians in a Norwegian intensive care unit. |
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Authors:
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Hans Hadders |
Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Health (London, England : 1997) Volume: 13 ISSN: 1363-4593 ISO Abbreviation: Health (London) Publication Date: 2009 Nov |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2009-10-20 Completed Date: 2009-12-29 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 9800465 Medline TA: Health (London) Country: England |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 571-87 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Department of Social Anthropology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. hans.hadders@svt.ntnu.no |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Decision Making Euthanasia, Active* / ethics Humans Intensive Care Units* Interviews as Topic Monitoring, Physiologic / methods Norway / epidemiology Respiration, Artificial Technology, Medical* Withholding Treatment* / ethics |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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