TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2016//
TI  - Suicidal patients with a do-not-resuscitate order
JO  - Journal of emergency medicine
A1  - Henman, Mary P.
SP  - 117
EP  - 120
VL  - 52
IS  - 1
N2  - BACKGROUND: A suicidal person with a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order presents an ethical dilemma to the emergency physician. Many believe that suicide is an irrational action, and therefore, all suicide attempts must be treated. Others believe a DNR order should be respected even in the setting of a suicide attempt. CASE REPORT: An elderly woman with a known terminal illness presented to the emergency department after a suspected suicide attempt. She had a DNR order during her previous hospitalization. The emergency physician felt obligated to intubate the woman despite his recognition that she was terminally ill. <br><br>DISCUSSION: Reasons to both honor and not honor a DNR order after a suicide attempt are reviewed. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Not all patients who attempt suicide are necessarily incapable of making a rational decision about their health care. In some cases it may be appropriate to withhold resuscitation attempts in suicidal patients who have a preexisting DNR order. Institutional policies are needed to provide guidance in this situation.<br><br>Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0736-4679
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jemermed.2016.09.004
ID  - ref1
ER  -