Associations with resuscitation choice: Do not resuscitate, full code or undecided

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Patient Decision-Making
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Background:

• Informed consent for medical interventions requires adequate patient understanding.
• Decisions regarding resuscitation status (Do Not Resuscitate/Full Code) are complex and influenced by knowledge and communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between patient knowledge of resuscitation mechanics and prognosis and their decisions on resuscitation status.
• To identify factors associated with Do Not Resuscitate (DNR), Full Code (FC), and Undecided (UD) choices.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to 407 participants across three clinical sites.
• Data collected included patient demographics, knowledge of resuscitation, and self-reported resuscitation preferences.

Main Results:

• Nearly half of participants (49%) were Undecided regarding resuscitation status.
• Knowledge of resuscitation mechanics and physician discussion were significantly associated with DNR choices.
• Knowledge of Full Code (FC) mechanics correlated with FC choices, while knowledge of prognosis was negatively associated with FC.

Conclusions:

• A significant portion of individuals lack adequate understanding of resuscitation procedures, risks, and outcomes.
• Enhanced patient and healthcare professional education, alongside dedicated physician-patient discussions, is essential for informed resuscitation decision-making.