CHICAGO (AP) — When it comes to saving lives, God trumps doctors for many Americans. An eye-opening survey reveals widespread belief that divine intervention can revive dying patients. And, researchers said, doctors "need to be prepared to deal with families who are waiting for a miracle."
More than half of randomly surveyed adults — 57 percent — said God's intervention could save a family member even if physicians declared treatment would be futile. And nearly three-quarters said patients have a right to demand such treatment.
When asked to imagine their own relatives being gravely ill or injured, nearly 20 percent of doctors and other medical workers said God could reverse a hopeless outcome.
"Sensitivity to this belief will promote development of a trusting relationship" with patients and their families, according to researchers. That trust, they said, is needed to help doctors explain objective, overwhelming scientific evidence showing that continued treatment would be worthless.
Pat Loder, a Milford, Mich., woman whose two young children were killed in a 1991 car crash, said she clung to a belief that God would intervene when things looked hopeless.
"When you're a parent and you're standing over the body of your child who you think is dying ... you have to have that" belief, Loder said.
While doctors should be prepared to deal with those beliefs, they also shouldn't "sugarcoat" the truth about a patient's condition, Loder said.
Being honest in a sensitive way helps family members make excruciating decisions about whether to let dying patients linger, or allow doctors to turn off life-prolonging equipment so that organs can be donated, Loder said.
Loder was driving when a speeding motorcycle slammed into the family's car. Both children were rushed unconscious to hospitals, and Loder says she believes doctors did everything they could. They were not able to revive her 5-year-old son; soon after her 8-year-old daughter was declared brain dead.
She said her beliefs about divine intervention have changed.
"I have become more of a realist," she said. "I know that none of us are immune from anything."
Loder was not involved in the survey, which appears in Monday's Archives of Surgery.
It involved 1,000 U.S. adults randomly selected to answer questions by telephone about their views on end-of-life medical care. They were surveyed in 2005, along with 774 doctors, nurses and other medical workers who responded to mailed questions.
Survey questions mostly dealt with untimely deaths from trauma such as accidents and violence. These deaths are often particularly tough on relatives because they are more unexpected than deaths from lingering illnesses such as cancer, and the patients tend to be younger.
Dr. Lenworth Jacobs, a University of Connecticut surgery professor and trauma chief at Hartford Hospital, was the lead author.
He said trauma treatment advances have allowed patients who previously would have died at the scene to survive longer. That shift means hospital trauma specialists "are much more heavily engaged in the death process," he said.
Jacobs said he frequently meets people who think God will save their dying loved one and who want medical procedures to continue.
"You can't say, 'That's nonsense.' You have to respect that" and try to show them X-rays, CAT scans and other medical evidence indicating death is imminent, he said. Continue >>
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Cheers for the country club discription, guvner.....
Yes poor old Donna, The doc is taking a break in 2009 but will be back in 2010, in that time there will be three "specials though with the first one at Christmas. In the mean time we are addicted to two other BBC programmes, Spooks and Life On Mars, have you seen either.
Best wishes
Steve
"Not sure what a country club is"
It's a private club for rich people. It's a snobbish short of place with golf, tennis, swimming and expensive events like meals and such.
Here's a website to one on line: http://www.greenvillecc.com/
Yep...poor Donna...atleast she doesn't know the difference. There will be another season, right?
wbmoore,
It's just an evangelist who comes through our area every year or so. Her name is Lois Bunch, out of Dallas. She is a mighty speaker, evangelist, and prophetess.
Prophet, I'm so glad to hear your testimony. Could you share which revival, evangelist? Or if you prefer, leave me a comment on my blog (its private unless I approve the comment).
Thanks.
ifeelfine, you take 80 out of Hazard going east, after about 48 miles you come to 23. You go about 1 mile north to Prestonsburg or 20 miles south to Pikeville.
believer: Pikeville is the other direction from Prestonsburg if you were in Hazard, right?
Thanks for your reply prophet, looked through my original post but can't see where I wrote about you being narrow minded etc..I'll take it you where also replying to somebody else who wrote that about you as well.
Best wishes
Steve
P.s Not sure what a country club is, I'll take it that its a wierd American tradition...:-)
ifeelfine, I pastored in Hazard from 91-95 and we now live in Pikeville where I am the Director of Missions for the Pike Association of Southern Baptists.
aritonang,
And my wife who had chronic depression with bouts of suicide her whole life. I married her in that condition. Wondering everyday if I was going to come home to a dead wife. Even meds weren't helping her. And she'd go into rages for like 30-40 minutes where she'd go beserk and get physically abusive. And when she was done, she'd have no recollection of what happened.
One day at a evangelistic revival, God healed her instantaneously. All depression was gone. Never another thought of suicide. Never another bout of rage. She was as normal as me.
Doctors also told her that she'd never be able to have children. She could get pregnant, but never carry a baby to term. She had a number of misscarriages. Then God intervened. We have two beautiful children that she carried without incident the whole term.
My son was diagnosed with ADHD. He was having difficulties in elementary school because of it. Doctors prescribed medicine and said he would be on it the rest of his life and that he would still struggle in school because of it.
God healed him. He's been without meds for 6 years. Began tutoring other children while he was in 5th and 6th grade. Been on the honor roll in junior high more times than not.
My daughter was born with ASD (Atrial Septal Disorder) which is a hole between the chambers of her heart. Doctors said only open heart surgery would fix it. Though it posed no immediate life-threatening complecations, they said it significantly increases her chance of a heart attack and pneumonia, along with stunting her growth.
God closed the hole up.
God does move. He heals. He raises from the dead. He gives the blind their sight back, and the deaf their hearing. Amen and glory to God.
Meanwhile people in the Mosque nearby said their God, Allah of the Islamic world intervene in protecting Usama bin Laden from the American invaders.
So I guess logical science cannot help Americans to bring UBL to justice, can it now?
Example: My uncle had a heart-attack in 2006, resuscitated in hospital by doctors but failed, declared dead by hospital and recorded by officials, then brought to his family's house and then we call all our family members and our pastor. Three hours later while we are singing and praising God lead by our pastor in front of the open casket, while one by one our family members gathered -Lord Jesus revived our uncle. That is what happens in front of our eyes, all of us there.
Our pastor said that it is normal, considering that Lazarus was 3 days dead inside his tomb in Bethany and got called back.
There are several other examples, my aunt who got cancer and was diagnosed by doctors in Singapore to not last till 2007, this was in 2005. She is still singing in our church choir and now has full head of hair once again after numerous chemotherapy.
Others; a friend who was in a road accident and suffered what doctor said was head trauma and cannot be save. He is still here today
I have seen God's intervention revived the dying before. But like my late grandmother said last after our pastor was reading her last rites, she just want to return to the Lord and meet her husband, my grandfather in paradise - and not looking forward to stay in this world.
I believe people in different parts of this world has different view on this issue. Some place to much value on this life and would carry on living even in vegetative state, while some are looking forward to returning back to our Lord after fulfilling his/her duty.
orange,
"In other words, you take it all on faith, or you don't."
And all this time, I didnt think you were learning anything...I was wrong.
believer: Hazard, KY? Are you from that area of KY? My wife's family is from Prestonsburg.
believer,
Ah but it was fossilized, and it wasnâ
'are plenty of examples both great and small'
good, then you'll be happy to cite and source them, since they are SO plentyful, yes?
'He also said this generation looks for a sign and will be given none.'
Oh, but we're told of stories all the time where people *get a sign from god* and they do so and attribute the most ordinary and pedestrian of things as miracles. 'I found my way back on the freeway, it's a miracle!' Here were are talking about the lack of signs, while earlier others were refering to such 'miracles' as such signs, so which is it? One can't blame us for doubting this religion if it lacks any credibility in such signs, while also trying to twist it that miracles happen all the time, but are (somehow?) not a sign.
'You either believe Him or you don't.'
In other words, you take it all on faith, or you don't.