DNR why 64% of doctors have em...

Before I go on... shouldent there be a health and wellness section of the forum? we seem to talk a lot about those subjects...

I was listening to NPR today, and was kind of blown away to hear that 64% of all doctors have "do not resuscitate" orders, also known as "no code" orders, a lot of those doctors wear dog tags that say "no code" some have even gotten tattoos...

Why?

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/feb/08/how-doctors-choose-die

put simply, because only 8% of the attempts at resuscitation are successful, and of those a little less than half will end up in a vegitative state, the rest likely wont make it past a few months and the procieedures they use are amazingly expensive (like over 300k for the attempts) and if your body starts to reject the ventalator, they will paralyze you while your still completely concious and going through it is hugely traumatic... Its not like the movies and TV. Its kind of morbid, but given the alternative of being awake and in extreme pain and trauma for god knows how long... think I'd rather just have em let me croak.

I,m DNR by choice.......if I had a chance to back it up a few years I never would have let them bring me back.

its a quality of life issue, it is something only you can decide..I think once you understand what dying and true suffering is about you realize natures order of things.

This is a subject that is like talking about Aliens....we all know they exist they have to because we exist.

It is a quality of life decision...I dont want to be left to a good mind with no escape thru a body that no longer responds, you can only keep going so long....but are you going anywhere once all you have left is your mind?

This is a road I hope no one should ever have to travel......Next time it happens I want it quick & fast.....in nature somewhere where no one is around!!!!

PS.......Im not Depressed , Im a realist...Ive Been there ,done that and had to rationalize why I will live my life to its fullist and why I must accept the end of the story....everyone has a reason to live....some of us have come back for a second round!

I don't fear death, I've lived a wild fun and adventurous life, done things IRL others can only write fictional stories about, but as I get older the options are disappearing with my health. I welcome death and I don't think I wanna see some of the things and changes I think are coming, but I wanna go out on my terms and there's still a few adventures I'd like to take. Still, if it happened tomorrow I'd be totally cool with it.

I have a DNR by Choice too., I have NO family what so ever, just 2 cats. I've had a great life except for a horrible divorce, but finally she died last yr. end of that disaster.
I started over & have a pleasant life now, happy to be alive, do as I please.
I haven't been to a DR, in 2 years, NO medications, drug & disease free, & plan to keep it that way.
.

DNR~~~ Doctors do not trust other doctors. You are more likely to die from quackery than from almost any other reason.

http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/mistakes/common.htm

"Various studies have been performed about medical errors. A phone survey by the National Patient Safety Foundation found that 42% of people believed they had experienced a medical error personally or to a relative or friend. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports on two studies estimating the hospital deaths due to medical errors at 44,000 to 98,000 annually, which would place medical errors in the top ten causes of death in the USA. Barbara Starfield's article in JAMA places the estimates even higher, citing a total of 225,000 deaths due to iatrogenic causes, which would place health-caused deaths as the 3rd leading cause of death in the USA. Holland et al (1997) estimates as many as 1 million patients are injured while in the hospital and approximately 180,000 die as a result, with the majority due to medication adverse reactions."

I think your most likely to die, because death (at least right now) is inevitable. the only question is, how much do you want to suffer before you die?

Without going into detail, as a direct caregiver in a trauma hospital, I have too much experience with DNR's or lack thereof.

First, just telling someone what your end of life wishes are is NOT enough! You will be a Full Code if there is ANY chance you can be saved, even if just for a few hours.

Second, even if you have it in writing, if ONE family member is against it, you will be kept alive until the hospital is certain they are on firm legal ground.

Third, your written/signed/witnessed DNR/Advance Directive should be very specific. This is not the time to be vague. State clearly, "No enteral feeding, ever." "No parenteral feeding." "No endotracheal tube". "No chest compressions", "no chemical code". If you are not familiar with these, when and why they are used, you need to speak with someone who is and have a frank discussion about what you think you may want.

I will tell just one story about this. Patient (elderly man, no written directive) had a massive stroke, is in the ICU, on full life support, prognosis nil. His (second) wife, disliked by his family, decided after a couple of weeks to disconnect life support and let nature take its course. She asked that we wait until his family could see him one last time. We agreed. They all showed up (about 15 of them?) and crammed into the room to see him. The conversation about withdrawing support came up and one man, a nephew, said, "Uncle Joe would want to live! He would want full care!" He talked along these lines for about 5-10 minutes. I left the room and contacted the doctor -- so for now...the man will remain a full code, full support. I returned to the room and asked the nephew, "When did you last speak with your uncle?" His response, "Oh, about twenty years ago." The visitors stayed for a couple of days (they were from out of town). After they returned to their home cities, the wife approached us and told us to withdraw care and let him die. That is what we did. But all of this occurred over a 4-5 day period. I don't want to know how much that cost, not just in dollars, but emotional trauma to those who truly loved him, and my deepest wish, as I washed and wrapped his cold, lifeless body, was that we had not caused him more suffering than God/Nature intended.

That's all I have to say about that.

I used to work with a trauma surgeon who had 'DNR' tatooed on his chest. ;-)

Yes, it is very important that one relative have medical power of attorney and that he/she knows the wishes of the patient. Family dynamics can get ugly in these situations.

DNR here too.

heck, I seriously didn't figure I'd last nearly as long as I have, so I'm living on 'extended play'!!

I believe death is very much like fear, when embraced and made into any ally it becomes your best partner in living a wonderful life.

When hated and despised it becomes our worst enemy and makes our lives truly, deeply miserable.

At least that has been my personal experience and it may not apply to anybody else.
Bob

My wife passed from cancer. She was both a trauma nurse and a hospice nurse. She saw it all. Shared stories of hospice patients bleeding out because of tissue collapse when all forms of chemo and surgery failed. You don't want that folks. She passed relatively quietly after chemo failed to stop cancer damage that caused her breathing to not work. We both have DNR.