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If you don't word it right, it seems to me you could also be facing a short-term reversible condition - someone elses mistake even - and they would be legally b

If you don't word it right, it seems to me you could also be facing a short-term reversible condition - someone elses mistake even - and they would be legally bound to let you go. Which would be equally devastating to my family: >"...Upon transfer to the ward, the patient was inadvertently given hydromorphone instead of morphine. Shortly thereafter she was found not breathing. Resuscitation was not performed because of a do-not-resuscitate order on her medical record." [1] ... A narcan dose would reverse the above in about 20 seconds, but instead the patient died. ... this is why I asked GP about how these things are drawn up - I have to imagine it is scenario based? 1- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3986316/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3986316/

throwaway5752 7y ago
Okay, let's get the full quote: "A 90-year-old woman lived independently, despite a history of stroke, congestive heart failure, emphysema, osteoporosis and hypothyroidism. After a fall in her residence during the winter, she presented to the emergency department of her local hospital where she was given long-acting morphine orally to control pain in her chest wall. With a diagnosis of pneumonia and renal failure, the patient was transferred to a ward, where the morphine was discontinued and hydromorphone was ordered in its place. Unfortunately, the patient received both analgesics. Two days after admission to the ward, she was found unrousable. Narcotic overdose was considered. After a single bolus dose of naloxone intravenously, the patient became alert; however, left alone for a few minutes, she was then found without vital signs. No further attempt at resuscitation was attempted because a do-not-resuscitate order had been previously entered in her chart at her request." It isn't a simple case of an otherwise healthy person not given narcan because of a DNR. They were very ill, injured, and coded after an inital nalaxone treatment. Honestly, if it were me, I might want to shake the hand of the person that gave accidental overdose. Regardless, that is great link and both cases are very ethically complicated. You should look into it more yourself, but for example, one might want to withdraw life sustaining treatment (food/water) if they are in a persistent vegetative state for a certain period of time. Based on other circumstances they might want a hard DNR. It is important and people should educate themselves about end of live decisions and options. edit: I just realized you were referring to case #2. That is also complicated ethically.

throwaway5752 7y ago

Okay, let's get the full quote: "A 90-year-old woman lived independently, despite a history of stroke, congestive heart failure, emphysema, osteoporosis and hypothyroidism. After a fall in her residence during the winter, she presented to the emergency department of her local hospital where she was given long-acting morphine orally to control pain in her chest wall. With a diagnosis of pneumonia and renal failure, the patient was transferred to a ward, where the morphine was discontinued and hydromorphone was ordered in its place. Unfortunately, the patient received both analgesics. Two days after admission to the ward, she was found unrousable. Narcotic overdose was considered. After a single bolus dose of naloxone intravenously, the patient became alert; however, left alone for a few minutes, she was then found without vital signs. No further attempt at resuscitation was attempted because a do-not-resuscitate order had been previously entered in her chart at her request." It isn't a simple case of an otherwise healthy person not given narcan because of a DNR. They were very ill, injured, and coded after an inital nalaxone treatment. Honestly, if it were me, I might want to shake the hand of the person that gave accidental overdose. Regardless, that is great link and both cases are very ethically complicated. You should look into it more yourself, but for example, one might want to withdraw life sustaining treatment (food/water) if they are in a persistent vegetative state for a certain period of time. Based on other circumstances they might want a hard DNR. It is important and people should educate themselves about end of live decisions and options. edit: I just realized you were referring to case #2. That is also complicated ethically.