Prevalence of Patients With Do-Not-Resuscitate Status on Acute Geriatric Wards in Flanders, Belgium

Background. Elderly hospitalized patients have low survival rates after cardiopulmonary resuscitation, especially in the long term. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of patients with do-not-resuscitate (DNR) status on acute geriatric wards and the characteristics of the preceding decision-making process. Methods. On all 94 geriatric wards in Flanders, Belgium (2002), the geriatrician who performed the bulk of clinical work was asked to fill in a retrospective structured mail questionnaire. Results. The response rate was 72.3%. A DNR status was attributed to 20.3% of patients. A sig... Mehr ...