Is Dialysis a Futile Request?

Dr. Boslett: In assessing whether something's futile or inappropriate, you have a treatment and a goal. The question that you have to have is what is the goal, right? If their goal is that they want their loved one to pitch in a major league baseball game, I'm comfortable saying that that's a futile request. But if your goal is to see your daughter get married in three weeks, oh, I can do that, probably, right? "There's a whole bunch of things that could go wrong between now and then," he says.