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Doctors often do not honor DNR orders because there is no penalty for disobeying them while they can face severe penalties for failing to save someone's life if
by testvox 9y ago
Doctors often do not honor DNR orders because there is no penalty for disobeying them while they can face severe penalties for failing to save someone's life if their DNR order is invalid for some reason.
- emodendroket 9y agoAccording to an article I found [0], a doctor may at least theoretically be subject to legal penalties for disregarding a DNR. > Wrongful life. Theoretically, if a patient is resuscitated in the OR against the patient's wishes, a “wrongful, life” lawsuit could be filed. Under this suit, a patient could request compensation for ensuing expenses for continued life, negligence, and battery. An Ohio appellate court reviewed a case in which a patient was resuscitated after a DNR order was documented on his chart.12 Although the court in this particular case rejected the wrongful life theory, it did uphold the possibility that battery and negligence had occurred. This case has made it certain that the advance directive is an important component of a patient's chart. [0] Evelyn Eckberg RN: The Continuing Ethical Dilemma of the Do-Not-Resuscitate Order http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1016/S0001-2092(06)62642-2/full http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1016/S0001-2092(06)626...
- testvox 9y agoYeah in theory their could be penalties, but in practice no court wants to discourage doctors from saving people's lives.