Documentation of code status and discussion of goals of care in gravely ill hospitalized patients
Title
Documentation of code status and discussion of goals of care in gravely ill hospitalized patients
Creator
Holley A; Kravet SJ; Cordts G
Identifier
Publisher
Journal Of Critical Care
Date
2009
Subject
end of life; Code status; Goals of care; Medical education
Description
Background Timely discussions about goals of care in critically ill patients have been shown to be important. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review over 2 years (2003-2004) of patients admitted to our medical service who were classified as “expected to die.” Charts were evaluated for do-not-resuscitate (DNR) documentation and discussions of goals of care. Detailed chart reviews for demographic information, cause of death, site of death, length of stay, and duration of resuscitation attempt were performed. Results Of 497 charts identified, 434 (87.3%) had a DNR on file at the time of death. After exclusion of patients who died in less than 24 hours, 18 no-DNR charts remained. Seven noted a decision to continue aggressive care and 11 had no code status discussion documented. Younger patients and patients with cardiovascular disease were less likely to have a DNR. Resuscitation times were longer in the no-discussion group. All patients who died without a DNR died in the intensive care unit. Seventy-six percent of discussions were done by medicine housestaff. Conclusions Although the overall rate of DNR documentation was high, several trends emerged. Medicine housestaff in the intensive care unit would be a logical group to target for an educational intervention to address these discrepancies.
2009-06
Rights
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Type
Journal Article
Citation List Month
Backlog
Citation
Holley A; Kravet SJ; Cordts G, “Documentation of code status and discussion of goals of care in gravely ill hospitalized patients,” Pediatric Palliative Care Library, accessed April 25, 2024, https://pedpalascnetlibrary.omeka.net/items/show/13847.