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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Jan 6.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2011 Apr;24(2):160–165. doi: 10.1097/ACO.0b013e328343c5af

Table 3.

Options for resolving futility disputes

1. Capitulation – provide treatment that patient or surrogate requests even if judged futile
by doctors
2. Unilateral withdrawal/withholding – decline to provide treatment that
patient/surrogate requests if doctors judge it futile
3. Mediation/adjudication by ethics committee
4. Seek appointment of different surrogate
5. Adjudication by court