Question

You are called to the residence of a 74-year-old female who has fallen and has a large area of ecchymosis on her left hip. You are met by a neighbor, who was caring for the patient while her daughter was out of town. The neighbor explains that the patient has a history of Alzheimer's and presents a NYS Department of Health Non-Hospital Order Not to Resuscitate (DNR) form. This patient is unable to communicate, so you should:

a) contact medical control to have the DNR overridden
b) treat the patient for a potential hip fracture
c) explain to the neighbor that the patient cannot be treated since there is no one present to give informed consent
d) explain to the neighbor that a DNR prevents the patient from being treated and suggest that the neighbor contact the issuing physician to have the order canceled

Answer 1

In this scenario, it is important to respect the patient's DNR order and not provide resuscitative measures.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this scenario, since the patient has a NYS Department of Health Non-Hospital Order Not to Resuscitate (DNR) form and is unable to communicate, it is important to respect the patient's wishes and honor the DNR order. With a DNR in place, medical personnel are not to take steps to revive or resuscitate the patient if their heart stops or they stop breathing. Therefore, the correct course of action would be to explain to the neighbor that a DNR prevents the patient from being treated and suggest that the neighbor contact the issuing physician to have the order canceled.