Get DNRs: Save $.

Higher 30-Day Mortality for Surgery Patients With DNR

By Joyce Frieden, News Editor, MedPage Today

Published: April 20, 2011

Reviewed by Dori F. Zaleznik, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston and Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner

Action Points

• Explain that a study found a higher rate of surgical complications and death among patients with a "do not resuscitate" order within 30 days of the procedure compared with matched controls who were not DNR.
• Note that even surgery classified as nonemergent resulted in more deaths within 30 postoperative days among those with a DNR order; reasons for surgery were not captured in the database used.

Patients with "do not resuscitate" (DNR) orders are more likely to die within 30 days of surgery, independent of other factors, a new study has found.
Compared with non-DNR patients, more than twice as many DNR patients died within 30 days of surgery (8.4% versus 23.1%, P<0 .001=".001" and="and" at="at" colleagues="colleagues" em="em" in="in" md="md" online="online" reported="reported" roman="roman" sanziana="sanziana" university="university" yale="yale">Archives of Surgery
. As well, the DNR patients were more likely to die no matter what surgical procedure was performed (35.5% versus 17.8%, and 16.6% versus 5.5% for emergent and nonemergent procedures, respectively, P<0 .001=".001" all="all" for="for" p="p">.
 

Geoff Plant 3

As expected without notice St. Paul's transferred Randy without his consent or mine at 3:00 pm Monday December 24 2012. back to GPC.  Now he faces Christmas in an institution he doesn't want to be in.  St. Paul's didn't even tell him of the decision.

I received no assurances that anything will be done to ensure Randy will be more safe at his "home."
No one even told me if he fully recovered from his pneumonia. 

Vancouver Coastal Health has no fear.  Maybe a plea to the public not to donate money to St. Paul's or VGH might be more effective.  

120.503