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“Do not resuscitate” order and end‐of‐life treatment in a cohort of deceased in a Norwegian University Hospital
Author(s) -
Werff Hans F. L.,
Michelet Torstein H.,
Fredheim Olav M.,
Steine Siri
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
acta anaesthesiologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1399-6576
pISSN - 0001-5172
DOI - 10.1111/aas.14104
Subject(s) - medicine , do not resuscitate , odds ratio , norwegian , palliative care , cohort , end of life care , cardiopulmonary resuscitation , do not resuscitate order , confidence interval , advance care planning , cohort study , intensive care medicine , emergency medicine , pediatrics , resuscitation , philosophy , linguistics , nursing
Background A “Do not resuscitate” (DNR) order implies that cardiopulmonary resuscitation will not be started. Absent or delayed DNR orders in advanced chronic disease may indicate suboptimal communication about disease stage, prognosis, and treatment goals. The study objective was to determine clinical practice and patient involvement regarding DNR and the prevalence of life‐prolonging treatment in the last week of life. Methods A cross‐sectional observational study was made of a cohort of 315 deceased from a large general hospital in Norway. Data on DNR and other treatment limitations, life‐prolonging treatment in the last week of life, and cause of death were obtained from medical records. Results A DNR order was documented for 287 (91%) patients. Almost half the DNR orders, 142 (49%), were made during the last 7 days of life. The main causes of death were cancer (31%), infectious diseases (31%), and cardiovascular diseases (19%). The most frequent life‐prolonging treatments during the last week of life were intravenous fluids in 221 patients (70%) and antibiotics in 198 (63%). During the last week of life, 103 (36%) patients received ICU treatment. Death by cancer (odds ratio 2.5, 95% confidence interval 1.24–5.65) and DNR decision made by a palliative care physician (odds ratio 3.4, 95% CI 1.21–3.88) were predictors of not receiving life‐prolonging treatment. Conclusion The findings of a high prevalence of life‐prolonging treatment in the last week of life and DNR orders being made close to the time of death indicate that decisions about limiting life‐prolonging treatment are often postponed until the patient's death is imminent.