Code Status Orders and Goals of Care in the Medical Intensive Care Unit.

Link to article at PubMed

Code Status Orders and Goals of Care in the Medical Intensive Care Unit.

Chest. 2011 Feb 3;

Authors: Gehlbach TG, Shinkunas LA, Forman-Hoffman VL, Thomas KW, Schmidt GA, Kaldjian LC

Abstract BACKGROUND: Decisions about cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) are important. However, discussions about CPR (code status discussions) can be challenging and may be incomplete if they do not address goals of care. METHODS: We interviewed 100 patients or their surrogates, and their physicians, in a MICU. We queried patients'/surrogates' knowledge of CPR, code status preferences, and goals of care; we queried MICU physicians about goals of care and treatment plans. Medical records were reviewed for clinical information and code status orders. RESULTS: Fifty patients/surrogates recalled discussing CPR preferences with a physician and 51 recalled discussing goals of care. Eighty-three patients/surrogates preferred full code status, but only four could identify the three main components of in-hospital CPR (defibrillation, chest compressions, intubation). There were 16 discrepancies between code status preferences expressed during the interview and code status orders in the medical record. Respondents' average prediction of survival following in-hospital cardiac arrest with CPR was 71.8%, and the higher the prediction of survival, the greater the frequency of preference for full code status (p=0.012). Of six possible goals of care, approximately five were affirmed by each patient/surrogate and physician, but 67.7% of patients/surrogates differed with their physicians about the most important goal of care. CONCLUSIONS: MICU patients and their surrogates have inadequate knowledge about in-hospital CPR and its likelihood of success, patients' code status preferences may not always be reflected in code status orders, and assessments may differ between patients/surrogates and physicians about what goal of care is most important.

PMID: 21292755 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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