Citation

Lindner R. Nervenheilkd. 2015; 34(6): 441-445.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Georg Thieme Verlag)

DOI

10.1055/s-0038-1627421

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Good palliative care has a direct effect on preventing suicide. In the actual political debate on assisted suicide in Germany this paradigm of medical treatment leads to a common call for an extension of palliative care. The paradigm is illustrated and questioned by this case report. Casuistic material (medical files and narration of the clinical interaction) is presented in a 75 years old patient with ileus by colon carcinoma, who, in the course of the treatment had a suicide attempt with medicaments. After palliativegeriatric treatment he died in a hospice. The interactions of the physicians involved with the patient are interpreted with a psychodynamic approach. There are two interpretations: An experience of being hold by a caring parental object, which prevents from suicidal acting out, and a re-inscenation of helplessness and failing of any holding function in the process of dying. From this case, aspects of a suicide preventing attitude in palliative care are developed. © Schattauer 2015.

Language: de

Keywords

human; aged; case report; assisted suicide; helplessness; suicide attempt; Suicide prevention; clinical trial; dying; geriatric care; clinical article; patient care; palliative therapy; psychosomatic disorder; geriatric patient; ileus; hospice care; Article; Palliative medicine; colon carcinoma; End-of-life decisions; doctor patient relationship; Geriatric psychosomatics