Mother fights decision to take son off dialysis

[draven]

Something i read in the newspaper, here in South Africa.


'They are leaving him to die'
11 December 2009, 13:53

By Esther Lewis
Staff Reporter

A Milnerton mother is in a race against time to prevent Groote Schuur Hospital from stopping her son's life-saving dialysis treatment.

Doctors from the hospital have told Amelda Leaner that her son is "too sick" to continue the treatment.

Adrian Leaner, 21, received a kidney transplant three years ago. In May this year he started complaining about abdominal pains and by September his body had rejected the organ.

He has been hospitalised for just over two months.

According to Department of Health spokeswoman Faiza Steyn about half of all transplant patients could lose their transplanted kidney, or see the original disease recur, within the 10 years following transplantation.

Meanwhile, Adrian has also been diagnosed with diabetes, and fallen prey to several infections, including a lung infection, tuberculosis and stomach bugs during his stay in hospital.

His mother also claims that he was given penicillin for a week before doctors discovered he was allergic to the medicine.

He started undergoing dialysis treatment at Groote Schuur in October. He needs three sessions a week.

Last week, Leaner was informed that a decision had been taken by the hospital board to discontinue his treatment, because he was "too sick".

Steyn said the decision regarding which patients would be given dialysis was taken by a team of professionals, which included doctors, nurses, social workers and a management representative.

This decision was taken only after a thorough review of the patient's medical history and condition.

Once a decision had been made, the patient or their family could request a review of the decision.

Leaner appealed the decision, and Adrian was given dialysis again for the last time at Groote Schuur last Friday. His case was reviewed over the weekend.

Leaner said her son was getting better because he had started speaking and eating small amounts of solid food at the weekend.

But, after a meeting with doctors on Wednesday, she was told he would be taken off the treatment.

Steyn admitted that it was uncommon for a 21-year-old to be taken off treatment but said that the matter had been "empathetically considered at the highest possible level".

She said the criteria for chronic renal dialysis were drafted and adopted at provincial and national level to determine which patients would best benefit from the very scarce resource.

Steyn could not comment on Adrian's case specifically, due to confidentiality clauses, but said fitness for transplantation was the main consideration in any review.

"The decision to stop chronic dialysis is very unusual and not taken lightly. This requires that the patient's medical condition must allow major surgery to be undertaken," she explained, adding that the decision was also generally based on a number of other factors too.

But Leaner remains dissatisfied.

"It's really heartbreaking because they can't give us a proper reason for stopping his treatment," she said.

She had no answers to give to her son, who wanted to know why he had not yet received treatment this week.

But Steyn countered that the family was briefed on the exact reasons treatment would be stopped. In addition, Adrian's doctors were willing to further engage with the family, and clarify the decision.

"I don't believe this. He is getting better. But they are leaving him to die," said Leaner.

She said she would only be able to arrange private treatment for him in mid-January.

"But he can't wait that long. He won't make it. It's terrible to just watch your child like that," she said.

In the private sector, dialysis costs between R2 000 and R800 per session.

Leaner said a family friend has donated R850 towards a session.

"We are very grateful for that, but it only covers one session."

Leaner vowed to continue to fight the decision to take her son off the treatment.




This article was originally published on page 9 of The Cape Argus on December 11, 2009