Dylemat współczesnej medycyny: czy resuscytacja jest zawsze uzasadniona?

*Paweł Andruszkiewicz, Andrzej Kański, Marcin Siciński, Remigiusz Gelo, Piotr Konopka

Summary
Important progress in resuscitation techniques, widely popularized in the community, has increased the frequency of CPR so that it has become standard practice, offered to almost every dying person in Polish hospitals, including patients in the end stages of terminal diseases. It is important to remember that the success rate of CPR is relatively low. The BRESUS study revealed that only 18% of resuscitated patients survived to hospital discharge. The number was even lower in the elderly – only 1.6% could return home and those who survived had either impaired consciousness or functional deficits. These results are strikingly different from the miracles depicted on TV or in novels, and it is no wonder that patients´ families are disappointed when confronted with the reality. To avoid such situations, several solutions have been offered, including avoidance of futile treatment, DNR orders, or feigned manoeuvres. Authors discuss the various ethical, legal and medical aspects of resuscitation.

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