Legal and Ethical Aspects of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

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It is very important to discuss resuscitation efforts with patients, once they are admitted to the hospital. Regardless of the patient’s situation, they have the right to choose the care provided to them. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, “is an emergency procedure performed on individuals who experience a cardiac arrest” (p.420). There are numerous conditions or health problems that can bring about the need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation may come about suddenly or gradually. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation can bring about legal ethical issues if not handled correctly. It is important to discuss cardiopulmonary resuscitation status with patients because it can unwanted harm to the patient, legal …show more content…

Recently there was a code performed on a ninety-four year old woman, who had stated early that she did not want cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts. However, the do-not-resuscitate order had not been legally activated prior to the emergency situation. “Do-not-resuscitate orders are those prescribed by a physician indicating that, in the event of a cardiac or respiratory arrest, no resuscitative measures should be used to revive the patient” (p. 420). Since the staff were required to perform resuscitation efforts on the ninety-four year old woman, the code lasted for about thirty minutes and the fragile lady suffered from multiple fractured ribs. The family watched in horror the death of a loved one, knowing it was not what she would have wanted. Why did the staff perform resuscitation efforts on a patient that stated she wanted a do-not-resuscitate order? The answer is simple, the staff were legally obligated to perform the resuscitation. “Do-not-resuscitate orders must be in writing and signed and dated by the physician. Appropriate consents must be obtained either from the patient or his or her healthcare agent” (p. 420). In this situation, the patient and physician had not consented to the do-not-resuscitate order before the emergency. Therefore, the patients expressed wishes were

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