Withholding or withdrawing life support in nephrology: a perspective in the French-speaking background

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) characterized by long duration, simplicity at beginning versus complexity at advanced stages. Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are renal replacement therapy allowing life extension, but comorbidities and frailty could be burdensome over time. The academic society, Société Francophone de Néphrologie, Dialyse, Transplantation (SFNDT), publishes clinical practice guidelines to optimize CKD treatment in this context, to support shared decision-making in the appropriate initiation of and withdrawal from dialysis, and to supervise end-of-life cares in the French-speaking countries.