Withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment (WOLST) is a leading proximate cause of death in patients with acute severe brain injury (ABI). Concern has been raised that some of these decisions are premature and guided by a number of assumptions that falsely confer a sense of certainty leading to self-fulfilling prophecies. Importantly, insufficient attention has been devoted to the nature of deliberations that lead to these decisions, and the kind of factors [clinician, and surrogate decision maker (SDM)-related] that influence them. Closely associated is the issue of quality of survival or “what matters in survival after brain injury”, since WOLST for brain injured patients is often undertaken in order to avoid chronic disorders of consciousness, long-term dependency and severe neurologic disability. This talk will engage with a number of the above issues in an effort to identify insights that can optimize shared decision-making for acutely brain-injured patients.

Meet the Speaker: Christos Lazaridis, Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine

Christos Lazaridis is a neurointensivist who specializes in advanced monitoring in severe traumatic brain injury. Dr. Lazaridis is also heavily involved in neurocritical care ethics. He has trained in both neurologic and general critical care. Dr. Lazaridis has authored/co-authored over 70 peer-reviewed manuscripts. His project, titled " Surrogate-Clinician Communication for Patients with Acute Brain Injury," explores how non-physicians and physicians interpret words and expressions like "coma", "vegetative", and "poor outcome or poor survival".

Presentations in the Cultures and Knowledge Workshop Series range across historical and disciplinary boundaries, and provide a major component of SIFK's inquiry into the process of knowledge formation and transmittal from antiquity to the present day. Research-in-progress is welcomed and will receive constructive feedback.

This workshop will take the format of a presentation followed by a discussion. Lunch with vegetatian and vegan options will be provided to those who RSVP. Due to space restrictions, our workshops have a maximum attendance of 40. Registered guests will be seated first.

Persons with disabilities who need an accommodation in order to participate in this event should contact srwhite@uchicago.edu in advance.