Palliative care & symptom management Practice Test

An 85-year-old woman is in the ICU with septic shock and multi-organ failure. The medical team believes further aggressive interventions are futile and will only prolong her suffering. Her son, who is her healthcare proxy, is distraught and insists, "You have to do everything possible to save my mother!" The patient has no living will.

A 77-year-old woman without advance directives is incapacitated after a severe stroke. Her two children are at the bedside and disagree on the plan of care. The son states his mother would want comfort care and to be allowed to die peacefully. The daughter insists on pursuing all aggressive measures, including a feeding tube and tracheostomy, stating "we can't give up hope."