title: Should relatives be invited to witness a resuscitation attempt? A review of the literature.
abstract: This review of the literature focuses upon the somewhat controversial question of whether relatives should be invited to witness the resuscitation of a family member. The pioneering study undertaken at the Foote Hospital, Michigan is explored, as is much of the anecdotal case study material available. The review focuses around three main areas: Allowing the relatives into the resuscitation room. Success of the encounter. The effects upon the relatives who witness the event. It is clear from this review that opinion about the presence of relatives in the resuscitation room remains inconclusive, with an apparently equal balance of both positive and negative family responses during the resuscitation attempt. However, whilst there is some evidence regarding short term effects on relatives who actually choose to witness a resuscitation attempt, there is little evidence to suggest what the long-term effects are likely to be. This is an aspect of resuscitation that certainly merits further exploration.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing & Midwifery, Wolverhampton University, West Midlands, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van der Woning
mesh_terms: D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005192:Family Health; D006801:Humans; D010362:Patients' Rooms; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D014789:Visitors to Patients / Q000523:psychology*