Futile treatment

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

Medical intervention that is considered unlikely to produce any meaningful benefit for the patient, either because it will not restore acceptable function or because it merely prolongs the dying process without improving quality of life.

Examples

• The ethics committee debated whether continuing ventilation constituted futile treatment.
• Families and physicians sometimes disagree about what counts as futile treatment at the end of life.

Synonyms: non-beneficial treatment, medically futile care