Prevalence of ‘do not attempt resuscitation’ orders and living wills among patients suffering cardiac arrest in four secondary hospitals

Abstract

Objective: To assess the prevalence and implementation of ‘do not resuscitate’ orders, nowadays called ‘do not attempt resuscitation’ (DNAR) orders and living wills among patients suffering in-hospital cardiac arrest (CA) in whom cardiopulmonary resuscitation was not initiated. Materials and methods: A prospective survey of CA patients conducted in four secondary hospitals during 2000–2001. The information collected included the presence of DNAR and a living will and the patients sociodemographic and disease factors and the reasons for not initiating resuscitation when no DNAR order was present. Data on the resuscitated patients were collected according to the Utstein recommendations (analyzed and published separately) and used for comparison. Results: During the study period, 1486 patients suffered CA without resuscitation being initiated. Data collection was successful in 1143 patients (77%), who were included in the study. Most of the patients (84.5%) had a DNAR order. The prevalence of DNAR orders differed between the participating hospitals ( P<0.001), and between the wards of the hospital, with most DNAR orders in the cardiac care unit (100%) and medical wards (87%). The patients designated as DNAR were likely to be older ( P<0.01) and of poorer functional status ( P<0.001). Reasons for abstaining from resuscitation without a DNAR order were unwitnessed arrest (27%) and terminal disease (66%). Living wills were uncommon (1.5%). Patients with a living will were likely to have a DNAR order ( P<0.01). Conclusion: Most patients who suffered in-hospital CA without resuscitation had a DNAR order, and, for those who did not, terminal disease and medical futility were evident in most cases. Living wills were uncommon, but they appeared to have had some impact on treatment.