title: [The application of do not resuscitate orders and withholding treatment in patients admitted to Internal Medicine in a first level hospital].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the practice and associated factors of limiting therapeutic effort and do not resuscitate (DNR) order in a general Internal Medicine ward in a regional hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective search was performed to find patients who received do not resuscitate orders and patients who died, among those admitted to Internal Medicine between January and May 2011 at the Hospital of Villarrobledo. The limitation in therapeutic effort (LTE) in this group is described.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 106 cases were analyzed, 80 of them received DNR (10.28% of admissions during this period). Fifty four patients received other LTE. The information on the reasons and communication with the patient and family was incomplete in most cases. No differences were found between patients who died with and without LTE or with and without DNR orders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The information on the reasons that lead to LTE/DNR orders decisions should be improved, as well as the information on the people involved in these decisions.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital General de Villarrobledo, Villarrobledo, Albacete, Spain. julianeloysolis@gmail.com
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Solís-García del Pozo
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gómez-Pérez
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission; D016414:Resuscitation Orders; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D028761:Withholding Treatment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*