Physicians, Not Surrogates, Mostly to Blame for Non-Beneficial Interventions

Brazilian clinicians report that it is physicians, not surrogates, who are responsible for most non-beneficial treatment.  



"Family pressure as a reason for the initiation of futile life sustaining measures was the exception. Most cases were traceable to the conduct of the attending physicians . . . who allowed life sustaining measures to be added in an automatic fashion as organic failure mounted."