Treatment limiting decisions in a neurosurgical unit

In a previous paper on mortality audit we reported on the use of treatment limiting decisions (TLDs) in a neurosurgical unit in the year 1988. In this paper we compare the findings of a similar audit for 1997. It appears that our unit's policy of openly discussing all TLDs in patients who die had le d to such decisions being made at a more appropriate stage in the patient's illness. Regular review of TLDs is probably helpful in increasing the conf idence of clinicians so make these difficult decisions openly and timeously .