Cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the elderly: patients' and relatives' views.
- 1 February 1995
- journal article
- Published by BMJ in Journal of Medical Ethics
- Vol. 21 (1) , 39-44
- https://doi.org/10.1136/jme.21.1.39
Abstract
One hundred inpatients on an acute hospital elderly care unit and 43 of their relatives were interviewed shortly before hospital discharge. Eighty per cent of elderly patients and their relatives were aware of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Television drama was their main source of information. Patients and relatives overestimated the effectiveness of CPR. Eighty-six per cent of patients were willing to be routinely consulted by doctors about their own CPR status, but relatives were less enthusiastic about routine consultation. Patients' and relatives' views about the appropriateness of CPR did not differ significantly. Seventeen percent of patients did not desire CPR. However, 64 per cent of patients were ultimately willing to follow their doctor's advice about the appropriateness of CPR. The conclusion reached is that mentally competent, elderly patients but not their relatives should be routinely consulted about their own desire for CPR in order to avoid resuscitating patients against their wishes. Further research is required to find out how patients would feel about resuscitation if they were terminally ill or chronically confused, and how carers would feel about resuscitating such patients.Keywords
This publication has 18 references indexed in Scilit:
- Elderly patients' and their relatives' views on CPRThe Lancet, 1993
- Resuscitation and senility: a study of patients' opinions.Journal of Medical Ethics, 1993
- Professional attitudes to cardiopulmonary resuscitation in departments of geriatric and general medicine.1993
- 'Do not resuscitate' orders: the need for a policy.1993
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation preferences in the elderly.1993
- Resuscitation status of the elderly.1992
- "Do not resuscitate" orders.BMJ, 1992
- Age and Other Determinants of Survival After In-hospital Cardiopulmonary ResuscitationQJM: An International Journal of Medicine, 1991
- CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION OF OLD PEOPLEThe Lancet, 1983
- EVALUATION OF A MENTAL TEST SCORE FOR ASSESSMENT OF MENTAL IMPAIRMENT IN THE ELDERLYAge and Ageing, 1972