Letters
“Do not resuscitate” decisions
Authors’ reply to Caldwell
BMJ 2015; 351 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h3784 (Published 14 July 2015) Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h3784- Zac Etheridge, specialist registrar in geriatric medicine1,
- Emma Gatland, barrister2
- 1Medicine for Older People, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury HP21 8AL, UK
- 2Harcourt Chambers, London, UK
- zac.etheridge{at}yahoo.co.uk
In the Tracey case, no distinction is made regarding the mode of dying. Mrs Tracey had advanced lung cancer, a cervical spine injury, and pneumonia.1 2 Testimony given by David Pilcher, chairman of Research Councils UK, states that the chance of successful resuscitation in such a case is extremely low. As far as has been reported, Mrs Tracey had no cardiac problems; she was therefore likely to die of what Caldwell describes as …
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