Death Interrupted

How Modern Medicine Is Complicating the Way We Die

By: Blair Bigham

Narrated by: Robert Lee

Doctors today can call on previously unimaginable technologies to help keep our bodies alive. In this new era, most organs can be kept from dying almost indefinitely by machines. But this unprecedented shift in end-of-life care has created a major crisis. In the widening grey zone between life and death, doctors fight with doctors, families feel pressured to make tough decisions about their loved ones and lawyers are left to argue life-and-death cases in the courts. Meanwhile, intensive care patients are caught in purgatory, attached to machines and unable to speak for themselves.

In Death Interrupted, Dr Blair Bigham seeks to help listeners understand the options facing them at the end of their lives. Through conversations with end-of-life professionals - including ethicists, social workers and nurses and doctors who practise palliative care—and observations from his own time working in ambulances, emergency rooms and the ICU, Bigham exposes the tensions inherent in this new era of dying and answers the tough questions facing us all. Because now, for the first time in human history, we may be able to choose how our own story ends.

©2022 Dr Blair Bigham. Published by arrangement with House of Anansi Press, Toronto, Canada (P)2022 Bolinda Publishing

Good content but with frustrating narrator issues

If you don’t work in medicine, it may not be such an issue for you, but the mispronunciation of so many medical terms was distracting to me and so frustrating. I was wondering if the author has not listened to this narration? Clearly a professional voice guy, but definitely not a medical guy. Sometimes narrator was relaxing to listen to, other times I felt like he was way too monotone and it took away from the story. It was good content, but the narrator issues will probably keep me from listening to it again

Fascinating dive into death!

What a great book! I loved how the author weaves in stories from his own career to give the reader a comprehensive understanding of what we know about death, and what it means to die with dignity. I was especially fascinated by the discussion of how different doctors in different countries treat life threatening conditions and how we run into the "technology conundrum." Will this treatment actually help the patient live a meaningful life, or will it simply prolong their life in a state most wouldn't want to be in? Highly recommend this book to anyone interested in healthcare and how it may affect you or your family members.

Interesting Perspective

As a healthcare professional, it took me a while to get over the mispronunciation of common medical terms like ECMO pronounced E-C-M-O, or trach with a short A, peg tube pronounced P-E-G tube, etc. However, that’s not the fault of the author.
This book helped me rethink my approach technology and death. The author has clearly been on a journey to understand life and death and I’m glad he shared his findings in this book. I don’t agree with all the points but can see how he got there. Nonetheless, it will make me change how I approach end of life conversations for my pediatric patients and their caregivers.

Excellent, thought provoking and caring

Like the authors background this book is a great read for all Heath care providers. Long before the author was an ICU doctor he was a person. A person with thoughts and fears. He does an excellent job making the topic understandable. I was exposed to new trains of thought and views.
Excellent book. Glad my friend recommend it.

Great book

As a long time ICU RN so much of this resonates. It’s inspired me to update my advance directive, talk about it with my family, and explore euthanasia. A long term ICU or LTAC stay would be worse than death.