A patient is unresponsive in the emergency department following a motor vehicle accident. The patient’s written advance directive states that he does not wish to be resuscitated in the event of a cardiac arrest. The patient’s wife arrives and demands that “everything” be done to keep him alive because she “can’t go on living without him.” The patient’s adult son is on his way to the hospital. If the patient arrests, which of the following should occur?
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- Respect the wife’s wishes and resuscitate the patient
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- Respect the patient’s prior wishes and do not resuscitate
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- Allow the patient’s adult son to make the final decision on whether or not to resuscitate
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- Consult a judge for the final decision on whether or not to resuscitate
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- Consult the hospital ethics committee
0 voters
EXP:
This patient has an advanced directive and the instructions expressed in it supersede his family’s wishes and should be respected.
An advanced directive (aka living will) is a written set of instructions by an individual that outlines which medical actions should be taken in the event they become incapacitated and unable to make their own medical decisions. In an unresponsive patient, the patient’s next of kin are often asked to assist in medical decision-making, but caregivers should help families frame their decisions with reference to what the patient has previously expressed, if such conversations have taken place. When an advanced directive is available, the written expressed wishes of the patient should be respected.