Biomaterial Database

[Do-not-resuscitate orders--ethical and legal considerations]. 2007

Nicola Hvidt Ballin

Hvidovre Hospital, Gastroenheden, Medicinsk Sektion. nicolaballin@hotmail.com

The article is based on a structured literature review. Practicing DNR orders in Denmark has not yet been described and there are no national guidelines. Generally patients must give informed consent before do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders. Only 32% of competent patients are involved prior to the decision even though patients wish to talk about decisions regarding the end of life . In general doctors cannot predict patients' do-not-resuscitate preferences and doctors underestimate patients' self-estimated quality of life. Doctors rarely contact the Danish Living Will Registry. Patients with do-not-resuscitate orders may be subject to other therapeutic reductions. In conclusion, patient autonomy should also be respected in the case of do-not-resuscitate orders.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007258	Informed Consent	Voluntary authorization, by a patient or research subject, with full comprehension of the risks involved, for diagnostic or investigative procedures, and for medical and surgical treatment.	Consent, Informed
D010817	Physician-Patient Relations	The interactions between physician and patient.	Doctor-Patient Relations,Doctor Patient Relations,Physician Patient Relations,Physician Patient Relationship,Doctor Patient Relation,Doctor-Patient Relation,Physician Patient Relation,Physician Patient Relationships,Physician-Patient Relation,Relation, Doctor Patient,Relation, Doctor-Patient,Relation, Physician Patient,Relation, Physician-Patient,Relations, Doctor Patient,Relations, Doctor-Patient,Relations, Physician Patient,Relations, Physician-Patient,Relationship, Physician Patient,Relationships, Physician Patient
D011788	Quality of Life	A generic concept reflecting concern with the modification and enhancement of life attributes, e.g., physical, political, moral, social environment as well as health and disease.	HRQOL,Health-Related Quality Of Life,Life Quality,Health Related Quality Of Life
D003657	Decision Making	The process of making a selective intellectual judgment when presented with several complex alternatives consisting of several variables, and usually defining a course of action or an idea.	Credit Assignment,Assignment, Credit,Assignments, Credit,Credit Assignments
D006323	Heart Arrest	Cessation of heart beat or MYOCARDIAL CONTRACTION. If it is treated within a few minutes, heart arrest can be reversed in most cases to normal cardiac rhythm and effective circulation.	Asystole,Cardiac Arrest,Cardiopulmonary Arrest,Arrest, Cardiac,Arrest, Cardiopulmonary,Arrest, Heart,Asystoles
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D016223	Advance Directives	Declarations by patients, made in advance of a situation in which they may be incompetent to decide about their own care, stating their treatment preferences or authorizing a third party to make decisions for them. (Bioethics Thesaurus)	Health Care Power of Attorney,Medical Power of Attorney,Healthcare Power of Attorney,Psychiatric Wills,Ulysses Contracts,Advance Directive,Attorney Healthcare Power,Attorney Medical Power,Contract, Ulysses,Contracts, Ulysses,Directive, Advance,Directives, Advance,Psychiatric Will,Ulysses Contract,Will, Psychiatric,Wills, Psychiatric
D016224	Living Wills	Written, witnessed declarations in which persons request that if they become disabled beyond reasonable expectation of recovery, they be allowed to die rather than be kept alive by extraordinary means. (Bioethics Thesaurus)	Living Will,Will, Living,Wills, Living
D016414	Resuscitation Orders	Instructions issued by a physician pertaining to the institution, continuation, or withdrawal of life support measures. The concept includes policies, laws, statutes, decisions, guidelines, and discussions that may affect the issuance of such orders.	DNR Orders,Do Not Resuscitate Order,Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders,Resuscitation Decisions,Resuscitation Policies,Withholding Resuscitation,DNR Order,Decision, Resuscitation,Do Not Resuscitate Orders,Do-Not-Resuscitate Order,Order, DNR,Order, Do-Not-Resuscitate,Order, Resuscitation,Policy, Resuscitation,Resuscitation Decision,Resuscitation Order,Resuscitation Policy
D016743	Mental Competency	The ability to understand the nature and effect of the act in which the individual is engaged. (From Black's Law Dictionary, 6th ed).	Competency, Mental,Incompetency, Mental,Competence,Incompetence, Mental,Mental Competence,Competence, Mental,Mental Incompetence,Mental Incompetency