In the Middle of the Night, an 82-Year-Old Man Is

In the middle of the night, an 82-year-old man is admitted to the hospital. He is noncommunicative and suffers from a number of comorbidities, including end-stage lung cancer. The patient does not have a power of attorney or an advance directive on file. His long-term wife, who is with him in the hospital, has a lengthy talk with the physician in charge of his treatment. During the chat, she claims that the patient repeatedly told her not to resuscitate him if he was near death because he did not want to live "connected to machines or brain dead." She claims he simply want to die in peace when the time comes. What would be the most appropriate course of action if the patient enters ventricular fibrillation?

A) Attend to the patient's comfort and allow his family to be present with him as he is dying
B) Begin full resuscitation because the patient's wife has no official documentation of her husband's wishes
C) Inform the nursing staff that the patient is "do not resuscitate" and suspend all treatment
D) Obtain a court order to confirm the patient's wishes and have legal documentation
E) Perform resuscitation without using a defibrillator but use only cardiac medications

Correct Answer:

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