The Library
Medical futility and 'Do Not Attempt Resuscitation' orders
Tools
Slowther, Anne (2006) Medical futility and 'Do Not Attempt Resuscitation' orders. Clinical Ethics, 1 (1). pp. 18-20. doi:10.1258/147775006776173336 ISSN 1477-7509.
Research output not available from this repository.
Request-a-Copy directly from author or use local Library Get it For Me service.
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1258/147775006776173336
Abstract
Decisions about whether to attempt cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) on an individual patient in a hospital
or other health care setting often raise ethical dilemmas
for members of the health care team. They are also of vital
interest to many patients, and their relatives, who entrust
themselves to the care of health professionals when they
are admitted to hospital. There can be few more emotive
scenarios than that of the patient ‘brought back to life’
following a cardiac arrest by the prompt and expert efforts
of the crash team, or alternatively of the patient who is
denied a similar chance of survival because of her age or
disability (as has been alleged is sometimes the case in UK
hospitals). Of course the question of whether to attempt
CPR is not as straightforward as these scenarios suggest.
The success rate is low, even in the best circumstances,
and there is a possibility of significant harm to the
patient. The age and existing medical condition of the
patient may alter both the likelihood of success and the
risk of harm. The phrase ‘medically futile’ has been used
to justify the decision to make a Do Not Attempt
Resuscitation (DNAR) order, as well as to argue for not
discussing the decision with the patient.1,2 What are the
ethical considerations that should inform DNAR decisions
and is the concept of medical futility helpful in
reaching an ethically justifiable decision?
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences > Social Science & Systems in Health (SSSH) Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School |
||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Clinical Ethics | ||||
Publisher: | Royal Society of Medicine Press Ltd. | ||||
ISSN: | 1477-7509 | ||||
Official Date: | 1 March 2006 | ||||
Dates: |
|
||||
Volume: | 1 | ||||
Number: | 1 | ||||
Page Range: | pp. 18-20 | ||||
DOI: | 10.1258/147775006776173336 | ||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||
Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access |
Request changes or add full text files to a record
Repository staff actions (login required)
View Item |