title: Witnessed resuscitation benefits relatives.
abstract: In a ground-breaking pilot study, researchers at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge have found relatives who witness the resuscitation of a loved one develop no adverse psychological effects. Established practice is for the relatives of critically ill patients to be excluded from the resuscitation area on the grounds that invasive procedures and aggressive resuscitation would distress the family and that their presence would compromise the performance of the clinical staff.