The Ethics Of Mortality: DNR Orders in Patients Who Attempt Suicide
Background
During one of my clinical rounds at Mahelona Hospital, I encountered a patient who stated that she was upset with her quality of life. She went on to explain that a few months prior she was in a car accident. It was a catastrophic wreck that required her to be intubated, held in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for about a week, and unable to walk without assistance. However, she feels she shouldn’t have survived the crash, or lived past that point, as she had a Do- Not-Resuscitate order. This order, also know as a DNR, is a medical order written by a doctor that instructs healthcare providers to not perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the event the patient…