"Do not resuscitate"
A Florida man's unusual tattoo sparked an ethical debate among his doctors. The man, who arrived unconscious at the hospital, had the words "do not resuscitate" tattooed on his chest. His doctors were torn: Should they honor the tattoo, without an official "do not resuscitate" (DNR) order? Or should they plan to resuscitate the man anyway, since they were uncertain if the tattoo really reflected his wishes? A medical ethics expert advised the doctors to honor the patient's tattoo, because it was reasonable to assume the tattoo "expressed an authentic preference." Later, the hospital found that the man actually did have an official DNR order with the Florida Department of Health. The man's condition soon deteriorated, and he died without undergoing CPR or invasive life-support methods, according to his wishes. @medicalcortex
On the other hand, having to do CPR on a 100 year old woman because she didn't have a DNR is equally distressing. I also remember a patient who's 5th shunt for dialysis had just failed. He chose to forgo any further care. His nurse was very upset because he would die without dialysis. The patient was very aware of that and did not want to continue with treatment anymore. He was not clinically depressed or actively suicidal. He had been on dialysis for many years. He stated that his quality of life was no longer satisfactory. Sometimes patients have just had enough. What do you think.
