The Bookie, the Girlfriend, and the Vultures

Letters1 January 1991The Bookie, the Girlfriend, and the VulturesJohn La Puma, MD, David L. Schiedermayer, MDJohn La Puma, MDSearch for more papers by this author, David L. Schiedermayer, MDSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-114-1-98_2 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptTo the Editors: We report the case of a patient whose access to life-sustaining treatment was nearly blocked, motivated in part by financial benefit, by his girlfriend-legal proxy.An 81-year-old widower had cardiomyopathy and renal failure. His girlfriend lived nearby and visited nightly. He worked as a professional bookmaker, and traveled annually to Las Vegas. He had not seen his two sisters in 8 years. His girlfriend insisted that he not be dialyzed; his sisters insisted that he should be dialyzed. A social worker reported the girlfriend's complaint that dialysis would "cost too much." The cardiologist asked the ethics consultant,... This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byAdvance Directives for Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection 1 January 1991Volume 114, Issue 1Page: 98-98KeywordsCardiomyopathiesMedical dialysisRenal failure Issue Published: 1 January 1991 PDF downloadLoading ...