Knowledge and opinions on conducting persistent therapy in the work of medical staff in anaesthesiology and intensive care departments

Aim of the study
Assertaining nurses’ and doctors’ knowledge and opinions on persistent therapy provided in anaesthesiology and intensive care departments.

Material and methods
The research was done in selected Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Departments in the Greater Poland Province. The research group consisted of 155 respondents, including 123 nurses and 32 doctors. The researchers used their own questionnaire. The statistical analysis of the results was made with the χ² test of independence and the Pearson’s χ² test.

Results
Only 43.9% of the respondents confirmed their familiarity with the correct definition of persistent therapy; 91.6% declared that they knew the concept, 81.3% pointed that the protocol for withdrawal from futile therapy should be used in medically justified situations. The vast majority (66.5%) of the respondents confirmed that they did not use the indicated protocol in the workplace. On the other hand, 71% of the interviewees confirmed using persistent therapy in the workplace despite the possibility of taking advantage of the protocol. 20.6% of the respondents had no opinion.

Conclusions
The knowledge and understanding of the concept of persistent therapy of medical staff in anaesthesiology and intensive care departments is not satisfactory. Persistent therapy is used in the respondents’ workplace. The majority considered use of the protocol for withdrawal from futile therapy legitimate. In the case of an incurable illness in themselves or in their relatives, with no treatment in the intensive care unit, the respondents would choose natural death.