The Influence of the Probability of Survival on Patients' Preferences Regarding Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is controversial for patients near death. The appropriateness of CPR depends on three main factors: the outcome, the cost, and the patient's preference. Several recent studies have reported outcomes among elderly patients who have undergone CPR. Ambulatory elderly patients have a 10 percent chance of surviving to discharge after out-of-hospital CPR in cities with good emergency medical systems 1 , 2 . A recent study suggests that carefully selected elderly patients (i.e., those with primary cardiac diseases) have an up to 39 percent chance of surviving to discharge after CPR is performed in the hospital 3 . Depending on the . . .