CPR OR NOT TO CPR?

CPR is an acronym that stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. CPR is an emergency procedure in which a medical professional or Good Samaritan gets the heart and lungs of a victim working again by compressing the chest by hand and forcing air into the lungs.

A few weeks ago - in March 2013 a Qualified Nurse who worked a Care Home in the States dialled 911 because a 87 year  female client had collapse onto the floor.  She dialled 911 for the Ambulance crew to attend to the client o do Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.  But the Dispatcher said you are a Nurse and I could tell you what to do.  The Nurse explained that it is against her work policy to perform CPR onto any of her clients.

The Dispatcher said I don't understand that.... okay get somebody else

The Nurse I can't  are the Ambulance coming.....

The Dispatcher said  there they are on their way.....

 

 When the Ambulance arrived at the Care Home the female client was pronounce dead.

This has caused a big hoo haa in the USA.

I am young gifted and Black.

Comments

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    Its the USA, Its about the money.

    The right thing to do in this case is who gets paid, who gets sued.

    If the nurse had performed CPR and the patient lived then nothing. If the patient had died even after CPR then its odds on that the relatives would be searching for some way to turn a profit so would have sued the nurse.

    That's the way of the country of litigation. 

    🙂

  • Who gives a toss about the screwed up system in the States ?



    Shouldn't they have checked the woman's insurance first anyway ?
  • The right thing to do was to have performed CPR. If the nurse or anyone else honestly thinks they can argue any differently then they are inhuman, or bonkers, or both.

     

  • Is the care home employing her as a member of staff or as a nurse? I'm a para medic and we are employed as that. Two different things in employment law?
  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    Screamapillar wrote (see)

    The right thing to do was to have performed CPR. If the nurse or anyone else honestly thinks they can argue any differently then they are inhuman, or bonkers, or both.

     

    You have to remember that this incident occurred in the 'land of the free', (well 99% of them are free, the rest are in jail)

    🙂

  • SideBurnSideBurn ✭✭✭

    I will be looking into this.... but, just a thought, the resident may have had a 'living will'. The text states that the residents have agreed to this policy not to resuscitate. In the UK you can have a 'living will' (treatment escalation form or 'do not resuscitate' order) where you can 'refuse' to be given CPR this is something that can be agreed between the patients GP, carers, family and other interested parties. If you know about the 'living will' and perform CPR anyway you are in serious trouble. Obviously, if you do not reasonably know about it then you are OK. This could be the answer but it does not explain why they called 911???

    As far as your 'duty' to an unconscious patient, if you have a duty of care, you have a duty to do what is reasonable given the circumstances, you are unlikely to do  perfect resuscitation under any circumstances especially on your own with no kit. If you do not have a duty of care you do not have to do anything at all.

    BUT learning basic CPR is not complicated. Do not wait for a friend, family member or even a stranger to collapse before you are convinced to learn!

  • To stand by and watch someone die, knowing that there is a good chance that you could save them is disgusting.
  • SideBurnSideBurn ✭✭✭

    There are a few more stories on this; they confirm what I thought above that the Lorraine Bayless had a 'living will' meaning she did not want to be resuscitated 

     

    http://metro.co.uk/2013/03/06/retirement-home-woman-denied-cpr-did-not-want-to-be-revived-3528682/

    This is not a straightforward thing to do and needs to be done carefully and with discussions with the patient and normally their GP or other Dr. It is fairly common with people who are terminally ill or who's quality of life is seriously impaired.

    Here is a link to more information on the subject;

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/euthanasia/overview/dnr.shtml

    If a patient makes this decision and it is considered reasonable their decision should be respected.

     

  • SideBurnSideBurn ✭✭✭
    Nick Windsor 4 wrote (see)
    Surrey Runner wrote (see)
    To stand by and watch someone die, knowing that there is a good chance that you could save them is disgusting.

    Totally agree no rules should stand in the way of doing what you can

    Even if the person is in pain, terminally ill, likely to die in the next few days or weeks and regardless of the fact that the person has made a considered decision with the agreement of their GP that they do not want to be saved?

    Or put another way;

     

    http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/start_quote.gif

    By resuscitating me, they would be bringing me back from the dead only for me to have to go through it again Frances Polack (a retired nurse) who had a, "Do not resuscitate" tattoo put on her chest!

     

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2819149.stm

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