I don't understand how Greene could decide Corday's brain injured patient was a DNR. I thought an unconscious patient alway gave "implied consent" to all life saving measures, and a DNR could only be authorized by the patient, or the patients family. If the family could not be reached for organ donor consent, how could a DNR be issued without a court order?

-- Deb (KHege@AOL.com), March 28, 2000

Answers

Green decided that he was DNR because there was gray matter all in his hair.

-- Linda (l.brown@mindspring.com), March 28, 2000.

In real life, the patient would probably remain on life support until his parents could be reached. However, after a certain time the organs would no longer be viable anyway. However, in the interest of time and the fact the ER is television, Dr. Greene issued the DNR and had all measured stopped on the boy and declared him dead.

-- Carin (cdenisehaze@usa.net), March 28, 2000.

A patient can fill out a DNR form before they are ever ill and enter this into his/her chart. Presumably the ER could then contact the patient's doctor and find out that the patient has a DNR order. Since they didn't even know who this kid really was though, I don't know how he could have had a DNR order.

-- Christie (smetana.1@nd.edu), March 29, 2000.

Surely, a doctor has the discretion to make a "John Doe" a DNR when he is very clearly brain dead. How long can you expect them to try to keep him alive? Especially in a busy hospital like CCH. I don't know about getting a court order, but they may never find out who that person is.

-- amanda (amanda.rehm@home.com), March 29, 2000.