For a patient on comfort measures only, which approach best aligns with the goal of care?

• A. Provide comfort measures and symptom relief.
• B. Continue aggressive intervention to prolong life.
• C. Encourage parents to pursue experimental therapy.
• D. Limit family involvement.

Answer: (A)

In comfort measures only care, the focus is on relieving symptoms and maximizing the patient’s comfort, not on curing the disease or extending life at all costs. This means prioritizing effective symptom control—pain relief, relief of breathlessness, nausea, anxiety—along with psychosocial and spiritual support to preserve dignity and quality of life. Providing comfort measures and symptom relief directly supports this goal by targeting what causes distress and burden for the patient and family.

Continuing aggressive interventions would add medical burden without delivering proportional comfort or benefit. Encouraging experimental therapy introduces uncertainty and potential harm that may not align with a goal of steady, predictable comfort. Limiting family involvement contradicts the patient- and family-centered approach that is central to palliative care, where decisions are guided by shared goals and values.