Kid's 'Do Not Resuscitate' orders

[VentMedic]

http://www.ems1.com/products/aeds/articles/327013/
Kid's 'Do Not Resuscitate' orders prompt Ill. EMS debate

By Jeff Long
Chicago Tribune
Copyright 2007 Chicago Tribune

LAKE COUNTY, Ill. — As the school bus rolled to a stop outside her Lake County home, Beth Jones adjusted the bright yellow document protruding from the pouch of her daughter's wheelchair, making sure it was clearly visible.

In bold letters it warned, "Do Not Resuscitate."

The DNR order goes everywhere with Katie, including her 2nd-grade classroom at Laremont School in Gages Lake. The school is part of the Special Education District of Lake County, where an emotional two-year discussion ended this summer when officials agreed to honor such directives.

Taking a break from her shift on the pediatric critical-care unit at Central DuPage Hospital, Battle-Miller recalled children who were brought in for their end of life care. The doctors and staff, she said, didn't always know what to do.

She paused, thinking back on those early days of her career. "They had very unpleasant deaths," Battle-Miller said. "We were intubating a lot of these kids, preventing them from dying naturally. Some of them would die on the machine. Some would survive the episode but have to keep re-living it."

http://www.ems1.com/products/aeds/articles/327013/

 

[triemal04]

I really don't want to see one of those. But, it's a neccasary thing. I've transported a couple kids that had terminal illnesses (and by terminal I mean their life expectancy was being measured in months), and none had any sort of DNR. Each time it's crossed my mind: what happens if the little guy codes in the back? I know what I'd do, but that still doesn't make it any easier.

I think that there aren't more of these out there for the same reason that it's been hard for me to ask the parent's; nobody wants to be the one to say, "when your son/daughter dies, do you want us to stop everything we're doing?" But, it does need to be asked. Just not ever going to be an easy question.

 

[bstone]

When I see a DNR I listen to it. I think it's insulting that the Chicago Public Schools ignore such an order. I work for a private EMS service in the summer which operates under Chicago North EMS medical supervision and DNRs are iron clad (assuming they are filled out properly). I do wonder what medical control would say do a situation in which there is a valid DNR, a child in respritory arrest at school, no parent on site and a teacher orderin CPR.

Oy....headache.

 

[triemal04]

When I see a DNR I listen to it. I think it's insulting that the Chicago Public Schools ignore such an order. I work for a private EMS service in the summer which operates under Chicago North EMS medical supervision and DNRs are iron clad (assuming they are filled out properly). I do wonder what medical control would say do a situation in which there is a valid DNR, a child in respritory arrest at school, no parent on site and a teacher orderin CPR.

Oy....headache.

Well, respiratory arrest is different than cardiac arrest, but I do get your point.

Honestly, where is the conflict? Teacher's wants=not my problem at all. Valid DNR present=not working that code. And I'd really like to meet the doc who would say differently.