Nearly one-fourth of the DNR patients died within the month following their surgery. The outcome depended on the type of surgery. For example, about half patients with DNRs having exploratory laparotomies died within a month of the surgery--compared with one in five of the patients without DNRs. However, for surgeries such as thighbone fracture repair or appendectomies, no differences were reported between the two patient groups.
I was grappling with the implications here. What were the researchers trying to say? Do not have a DNR? Do not have surgery?
Then I read some of the comments to the original article at Reuters. Here are two perspectives.
"DNR is code for “Do Not Bother.” There are plenty of doctors who feel that some patients, especially terminal ones are not worth the bother. Which is why they die more often."
"By signing a DNR may have put the patients in a mindset that “I’m going to die”. Perhaps the ‘fight’ was taken out of them."
What do you think?
1 comment:
My 71 year old mother almost experienced this. She has had a DNR in place for over 20 years. She recently broke her leg and went to rehab where she suffered what turned out to be a minor stroke. Luckily my husband and I were there. Because there was a DNR in her file, the nurse hadn't even planned on calling an ambulance. We insisted and with prompt treatment Mother recovered completely. None of the treatment provided was at odds with Mother's wishes and she is grateful that action was taken. If you have placed a loved one in the care of a senior facility, do not assume they will make the same decisions you would.
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