Determining resuscitation status: a survey of medical professionals

Regarding the determination of resuscitation status (RS) and the writing of do-not-resuscitate orders, we compared the recent Presidential Guidelines with the attitudes and perceptions of 143 medical professionals in a major medical center. Seventy-four percent of respondents believed that RS was primarily determined by the physician. Only 1% believed the patient decides and a minority (40%) believed the patient should decide; 61% would want to decide for themselves if they were ill. Most respondents agreed that neither patients nor staff were well-informed about the individual patient's RS. When presented case vignettes requiring a decision about RS, the respondents frequently chose a RS contrary to the wishes of a competent patient. The findings of this survey point to the significant differences between the Presidential Commission's guidelines and the actual attitudes and perceived practices of clinicians.