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 hy

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.