as a member of the in-hospital arrest team I see and practice training on deceased pts almost every time we go to an arrest - EMD/asystolic arrests are the great majority, where the arrest is the final stage in the dying process. Given these patients grim outlook this sort of event resuscitation efforts can only be described as practice as it is almost universialy futile. Is this acceptable? No, these patients should be allowed to die with dignity and without the benefit of the CCU nurse/JHO/medical student bouncing up and down on their chest. That said, without this practice would the one or two patients who have been sucessfully resuscitated have survived?
Andy Conway Morris
JHO Glasgow
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