Ethically justified treatment limitations in emergency situations

Objective: Medical emergency teams (METs) implement do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DNACPR) orders and other limitations of medical treatment (LOMTs) in hospitals regularly. However, METs operate in emergency situations with limited or no patient information at the scene. We aimed to study the medical ethics of LOMTs implemented in in-hospital emergency situations. Methods: This was a prospective observational study with retrospect case-note analysis conducted in a single Finnish university hospital over 16 months. Data were collected according to the Utstein-style scientific statement. Results: There were 774 reviews on 640 patients without preceding LOMT. During the reviews MET assigned LOMTs (including 55 DNACPR orders) for a group of 59 patients who were older (median 77 vs. 68 years; P
Source: European Journal of Emergency Medicine - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research