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Is Consent Useful When Resuscitation Isn't?
Author(s) -
Scofield Giles R.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
hastings center report
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.515
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1552-146X
pISSN - 0093-0334
DOI - 10.2307/3562360
Subject(s) - conversation , resuscitation , cardiopulmonary resuscitation , order (exchange) , do not resuscitate order , point (geometry) , resuscitation orders , psychology , medical emergency , informed consent , medicine , alternative medicine , business , emergency medicine , communication , geometry , mathematics , finance , pathology
A Do Not Resuscitate order reflects a considered judgment that a physician can no longer stave off death. Why, then, have a patient consent to such an order? The primary point is that physicians should share with patients their judgment about what medicine can and cannot do. Because we cannot make death go away, we must make decisions about when to withhold or limit resuscitation openly, in honest and trusting conversation between doctor and patient.