Resuscitating a Bad Patient (Case Study) (Clinical Report‪)‬

RD, a seventy-year old man, fell in his home several weeks ago and did not receive assistance for four days, causing pressure sores to develop on his body. He also has multiple chronic illnesses, including diabetes, hypertension, obstructive pulmonary disease, and dementia. After judging him too weak to care for himself, RD's doctors tried placing him in a skilled nursing facility; but his sores haven't healed properly, so he's now been admitted to an academic medical center. After his admission, RD'S medical condition quickly stabilizes. His doctors request that his continuous oxygen saturation monitoring be discontinued, but nursing staff disagree. The monitor often shows that RD has low oxygen saturations, sometimes from taking off his oxygen mask. Low oxygen saturation triggers an alarm that prompts nursing staff to evaluate the patient. Since he doesn't have a "do not resuscitate" order and his durable power of attorney for healthcare can't be reached, nursing staff must try to resuscitate him if he arrests. In their view, continued oxygen monitoring helps them to prevent a cardiac arrest.