A 'natural death' may be preferable to CPR

[Mike]

This article explores the real-life outcome of undergoing CPR and why many may choose to forgo it. After reading this, I'm pretty sure that I will give notice not to do CPR on me should my heart stop.

The traumatic nature of CPR may be why as many as half of patients who survive wish they hadn't received it, even though they lived.

It's not just a matter of life or death, if you survive, but quality of life. The injuries sustained from the resuscitation can sometimes mean a patient will never return to their previous selves. Two studies found that only 20-40% of older patients who survive CPR were able to function independently; others found somewhat better rates of recovery.

An even bigger quality of life problem is brain injury. When cardiac activity stops, the brain begins to die within minutes, while the rest of the body takes longer. Doctors are often able to restart a heart only to find that the brain has died. About 30% of survivors of in-hospital cardiac arrest will have significant neurologic disability.

Again, older patients fare worse. Only 2% of survivors over 85 escape significant brain damage, according to one study.

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[UTAH]

Ahhh... something close to my existence.

I died several times in April of 2016 after getting run over by a semi-truck - while on my Harley. The 1st Responders (incredible people) performed CPR several times and finally trached me onsite. Yeah, saving me broke my sternum and ribs - yet here I am. Later, my head surgeon wanted to remove the trach scar - which I declined. For, every time I look in the mirror it reminds me of how remarkable and worthwhile life is.

Hunter

[TriGuy]

This article explores the real-life outcome of undergoing CPR and why many may choose to forgo it. After reading this, I'm pretty sure that I will give notice not to do CPR on me should my heart stop.



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for the most part, unless there is an AED deployed in the first 6-7 minutes of heart stoppage you aren't coming back. But yeah you want a DNR/DNI. Have it filed with the doc, your lawyer, have a copy with you when you travel. If it's not physically there they must start CPR

[Dave Grubb]

I have actually had to make that decision---or remake it in that case.

I was in the hospital for double phenomena and I had a living will on file in that hospital. The doctor treating me asked me about the DNR stipulation---did I still want that. To which I replied, emphatically, that I did. He said, "let's talk about that". He went on to say that it was very possible that I could get to a point that I would need a respirator for a short period to get me over "a hump" but under the terms of my living will he would not have that option. That brought me up short---all of a sudden it took on not the air of a philosophical belief but one of immediate reality. We agreed, with my wife present, that he could exercise that option for 3 days---if I was not improving by then pull the plug. Luckily it turned out to be an unnecessary discussion.

As I write this, I am thinking of having been given the last rights twice---I had no such quandary when asked if I wanted them

Added in edit: As I recall that negotiation, my wife was arguing for 12 hours, not three days

[UTAH]

Not to derail this serious topic... but:

My German stepfather was dying. He was an old-school Catholic from Berlin. So, I searched for a Catholic Priest to give him last rites. It was harder than I thought it would be. Simply put - there are not as many Priests around as there used to be.

It worked out in the end - with my friend getting the religious action he wanted as he left this life. We will meet again some day.

Hunter