Why your doctor probably had a DNR

[Who Me?]

Why Your Doctor Probably Has a “Do Not Resuscitate” Order

• Bryan Walsh @bryanrwalsh

May 29, 2014


Doctors know that aggressive end of life care can be a waste of money—and painful. Yet that's exactly what happens when Americans die

The greatest success of the American medical system is also its greatest failure. Thanks to amazing advances in biomedicine, doctors can keep you living long after you would have passed away in earlier years.

Today a 65-year-old man can expect to live past age 82, and a 65-year-old woman can expect to live even longer. But those extra years can come at a terrible cost. Millions of Americans spend the last few years of their lives in and out of hospitals, racking up huge medical bills. A quarter of the total Medicare budget is spent on the last year of recipients’ lives, with 40% of that money going to their final 30 days.

Worse than those billions, though, is the physical and psychological pain that accompanies aggressive end-of-life treatment. Intubations, dialysis, feeding tubes, invasive tests—for far too many Americans, the last phase of life is spent in a hospital intensive care unit, hooked up to machines.

Con't. (I added paragraphs so it's easier to read



http://time.com/131443/why-your-doctor-probably-has-a-do-not-resuscitate-order/

 

[Tina]

Question is ...who gets to decide the cut off age? what procedures to ration and when?

 

[Who Me?]

I'm not sure what you mean. In calfornia a doc has to sign it so they know the person filling it out is competent. There is no cut off age that in aware of.

Also the form in my state specifically asks what measures you want. You can decide if you want just basic care ie: pain meds and fluids or if you want nourishment and everything but chest compressions.

I sure don't want someone beating on my chest and cracking my ribs just so I can have what kind of QOL? no thanks.

All this should also be in an advanced directive.

 

[GG]

Question is ...who gets to decide the cut off age? what procedures to ration and when?

God. LOL No some God-like Dr, sounds reasonable. NOT Or some bureaucrat, just joking, I hope. Welcome to the kinder, smarter future!

GG

 

[Who Me?]

I totally agree @ GG. The whole point of a DNR and an advanced directive is to be in control and not let someone who doesn't know you decide what to do.

I remember a news story years ago. A man and wife were vacationing in Hawaii. She was off shopping. He was surfing. He hit bottom and broke his neck. They could not get in contact with his wife. He refused life saving surgery. They ignored him, saying he didn't understand, and went ahead and operated.

He is now paralyzed from the neck down and needs constant care. Exactly what he didn't want and why he refused the surgery.

That was not a life he wanted. That is not a life I want.

 

[bobby]

He is now paralyzed from the neck down and needs constant care. Exactly what he didn't want and why he refused the surgery.

this touches on a sore spot I think there is in current medicine: that life is supposedly always better than death. But it's not! 'Saving' someone's life when all they have left afterwards is agony, that is just cruel. I wonder how much of this is caused by doctors wanting to feel like heroes...

 

[Who Me?]

From what I read it's about doctors doing everything they can to save someone because medicine doesn't allow the idea of letting someone choose to die. Decisions are made without considering what the QOL of the person will be.