Increasing+Use+of+DNR+Orders+in+the+Elderly+Worldwide+Whose+Choice+Is+It?

Cherniack, E. “Increasing Use of DNR Orders in the Elderly Worldwide: Whose Choice Is It?” //Journal of Medical Ethics// 28.5 (2002): 303–307. Dr. EP Cherniack says that over the past decades, most people are increasingly using “do not resuscitate” (DNR) orders that prevent physicians from performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The scholar bases his findings on numerous survey which indicate that most of the institutionalized and hospitalized patients in the U.S. or other countries die having a DNR document, an issue that was not common two or three decades ago (Cherniack 303). The study also found that older patients would not like to consider a CPR in case they suffer from a terminal disease or a functional or cognitive impairment. When it comes to CPR, the stability of choices made by elderly patients depended on the health of the person who was asked. For instance, a study carried out on over 2,000 outpatients found that 15% changed their stand after a period of two years. Conversely, a study on a small number of 30 ICU patients found that their choices were stable.

Gregory Bouie