Surgical Ethics: Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders in the OR

The Surgical Palliative Care Podcast

#011 - Join host Dr. Red Hoffman as she speaks with surgeons Drs. Sara Scarlet, Pringl Miller and Kim Kopecky about surgical ethics, particularly those surrounding Do Not Resuscitate Orders in the operating room. All three completed a fellowship in medical ethics and Drs. Miller and Kopecky are also fellowship-trained in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Dr. Scarlet served as the co-editor of the April 2020 issue of the AMA Journal of Ethics which focused on the relationship between surgeons and anesthesiologists. Together, we review the basic principles of medial ethics, discuss why we seem to focus so much on autonomy and reflect upon how training in both ethics and palliative medicine have affected how we practice as surgeons. We talk about some of the common challenges which exist within the surgeon-anesthesiologist relationship and ways in which we can better navigate our differences. Finally, we review what the various societies have to say about upholding DNR orders in the OR (spoiler alert: there are NO policies which insist that patients rescind their DNR orders before going to the OR) and talk about some tips and tricks that work when having these sometimes difficult and nuanced conversations.
To learn more about the Maclean Center Fellowship in Medical Ethics, click here.
To read the AMA Journal of Ethics: April 2020 Anesthesiologist-Surgeon Relationships, click here.
Statements on DNR in the OR:
American College of Surgeons
American Association of Anesthesiologists
Association of Perioperative Nurses
To learn more about the surgical palliative care community, visit us on twitter @surgpallcare