title: Defining, aligning, or declining do not resuscitate during surgery.
abstract: A Professor A. Droit, 93 years of age, formerly your college ethics teacher, developed a painful ischemic foot from distal aortic blockage. A daughter, who is a nurse, brought him to the hospital. He has multiple comorbidities, including leukemia for which he is getting chemotherapy. He agrees to surgery but hands you a completed do not resuscitate (DNR) form and insists it be honored throughout his care. As the operative wound is being closed, he has a slow ventricular tachycardia, which does not respond to intravenous therapy. You should:
authors.affiliation: The Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex. Electronic address: jwjones@bcm.tmc.edu.
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: The Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex.
authors.forename: Laurence B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: McCullough
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D015897:Comorbidity; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D016414:Resuscitation Orders / Q000941:ethics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D020458:Third-Party Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000941:ethics*