Reversal of Advanced Directives in Neurologic Emergencies

Patients with advanced directives or Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST), including "Do Not Resuscitate" (DNR) and/or "Do Not Intubate" (DNI), may be candidates for procedural interventions when presenting with acute neurologic emergencies. Such interventions may limit morbidity and mortality, but typically they require MOLST reversal. We investigated outcomes of patients with MOLST reversal for treatment of neurologic emergencies.

We conducted a retrospective chart review from July 1, 2019 to April 30, 2021 of patients with MOLST reversal treated in our NeuroMedicine Intensive Care Unit. Variables collected include neurologic disease, MOLST reversal decision maker, procedural interventions, and outcomes.

Twenty-seven patients (18 female, median age 78 years (IQR 73-85 years), median baseline modified Rankin score 1 [IQR 0-2.5] were identified with MOLST reversal. The most common pre-procedural MOLST was DNR/DNI (n=22, 81%), and 93% (n=25) pre-procedural MOLSTs were completed by the patient. MOLSTs were reversed by surrogates in n=23 cases (85%). The median time from MOLST completion to MOLST reversal was 603 days (IQR 45 days to 4 years). The most common neurologic emergency was ischemic stroke (n=14, 52%). Most patients died (n=14, 52%), 26% (n=7) were discharged to skilled nursing, and 22% (n=6) returned to home or assisted living.

In neurologic emergencies, urgent shared decision making is needed to ensure goal-concordant care, which may result in reversal of existing advanced directives. Outcomes of patients with MOLST reversal were heterogeneous, emphasizing the importance of deliberate patient-centered care weighing the risks and benefits of each intervention.