Terri A. Schmidt

Legalizing Assisted Suicide — Views of Physicians in Oregon

BACKGROUND Since the Oregon Death with Dignity Act was passed in November 1994, physicians in Oregon have faced the prospect of legalized physician-assisted suicide. We studied the attitudes and current practices of Oregon physicians in relation to assisted suicide. METHODS From March to June 1995, we conducted a cross-sectional mailed survey of all physicians who might be eligible to prescribe a lethal dose of medication if the Oregon law is upheld. Physicians were asked to complete and return a confidential 56-item questionnaire. RESULTS Of the 3944 eligible physicians who received the questionnaire, 2761 (70 percent) responded. Sixty percent of the respondents thought physician-assisted suicide should be legal in some cases, and nearly half (46 percent) might be willing to prescribe a lethal dose of medication if it were legal to do so; 31 percent of the respondents would be unwilling to do so on moral grounds. Twenty-one percent of the respondents have previously received requests for assisted suicide, and 7 percent have complied. Half the respondents were not sure what to prescribe for this purpose, and 83 percent cited financial pressure as a possible reason for such requests. The respondents also expressed concern about complications of suicide attempts and doubts about their ability to predict survival at six months accurately. CONCLUSIONS Oregon physicians have a more favorable attitude toward legalized physician-assisted suicide, are more willing to participate, and are currently participating in greater numbers than other surveyed groups of physicians in the United States. A sizable minority of physicians in Oregon objects to legalization and participation on moral grounds. Regardless of their attitudes, physicians had a number of reservations about the practical applications of the act.

A Trial of an Impedance Threshold Device in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

BACKGROUND The impedance threshold device (ITD) is designed to enhance venous return and cardiac output during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by increasing the degree of negative intrathoracic pressure. Previous studies have suggested that the use of an ITD during CPR may improve survival rates after cardiac arrest. METHODS We compared the use of an active ITD with that of a sham ITD in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest who underwent standard CPR at 10 sites in the United States and Canada. Patients, investigators, study coordinators, and all care providers were unaware of the treatment assignments. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge with satisfactory function (i.e., a score of ≤3 on the modified Rankin scale, which ranges from 0 to 6, with higher scores indicating greater disability). RESULTS Of 8718 patients included in the analysis, 4345 were randomly assigned to treatment with a sham ITD and 4373 to treatment with an active device. A total of 260 patients (6.0%) in the sham-ITD group and 254 patients (5.8%) in the active-ITD group met the primary outcome (risk difference adjusted for sequential monitoring, -0.1 percentage points; 95% confidence interval, -1.1 to 0.8; P=0.71). There were also no significant differences in the secondary outcomes, including rates of return of spontaneous circulation on arrival at the emergency department, survival to hospital admission, and survival to hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS Use of the ITD did not significantly improve survival with satisfactory function among patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest receiving standard CPR. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and others; ROC PRIMED ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00394706.).

Attitudes of emergency department patients and visitors regarding emergency exception from informed consent in resuscitation research, community consultation, and public notification

OBJECTIVE To assess public views on emergency exception to informed consent in resuscitation research, public awareness of such studies, and effective methods of community consultation and public notification. METHODS A face-to-face survey was conducted in two academic Level I trauma center emergency departments (EDs) in Oregon and Minnesota from June through August 2001. RESULTS Five hundred thirty people completed the survey, with an 82% response rate. The mean age of the respondents was 41 years (range 18-95) with a standard deviation of 14.5; 46% were female and 64% white. Most (88%) believed that research subjects should be informed prior to being enrolled, while 49% believed enrolling patients without prior consent in an emergency situation would be acceptable and 70% (369) would not object to be entered into such a study without providing prospective informed consent. Informing and consulting the community as a substitute for patient consent in emergency research was thought to be reasonable by 45% of the respondents. Most respondents would prefer to be informed about a study using emergency exception from informed consent by radio and television media (42%). Two hundred fifty-eight respondents (49%) stated they would attend a community meeting; the less educated were more likely to attend than those with college degrees (OR = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.33 to 0.85, p = 0.008). However, only 5% knew of ongoing studies in their community using emergency exception from informed consent. CONCLUSIONS Most respondents disagreed with foregoing prospective informed consent for research participation even in emergency situations; however, many would be willing to participate in studies using emergency exception from informed consent. Most respondents would not attend community meetings, and would prefer to rely upon the media for information. Very few were aware of emergency exception from informed consent studies in their community. This suggests that current methods of community notification may not be effective.

The impact of peri-shock pause on survival from out-of-hospital shockable cardiac arrest during the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium PRIMED trial.

BACKGROUND Previous research has demonstrated significant relationships between peri-shock pause and survival to discharge from out-of-hospital shockable cardiac arrest (OHCA). OBJECTIVE To determine the impact of peri-shock pause on survival from OHCA during the ROC PRIMED randomized controlled trial. METHODS We included patients in the ROC PRIMED trial who suffered OHCA between June 2007 and November 2009, presented with a shockable rhythm and had CPR process data for at least one shock. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine the association between peri-shock pause duration and survival to hospital discharge. RESULTS Among 2006 patients studied, the median (IQR) shock pause duration was: pre-shock pause 15s (8, 22); post-shock pause 6s (4, 9); and peri-shock pause 22.0 s (14, 31). After adjusting for Utstein predictors of survival as well as CPR quality measures, the odds of survival to hospital discharge were significantly higher for patients with pre-shock pause <10s (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.11) and peri-shock pause <20s (OR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.17, 2.85) when compared to patients with pre-shock pause ≥ 20s and peri-shock pause ≥ 40s. Post-shock pause was not significantly associated with survival to hospital discharge. Results for neurologically intact survival (Modified Rankin Score ≤ 3) were similar to our primary outcome. CONCLUSIONS In patients with cardiac arrest presenting in a shockable rhythm during the ROC PRIMED trial, shorter pre- and peri-shock pauses were significantly associated with higher odds of survival. Future cardiopulmonary education and technology should focus on minimizing all peri-shock pauses.

The Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) trial: study design and rationale.

The PAD Trial is a prospective, multicenter, randomized clinical study testing whether volunteer, non-medical responders can improve survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOH-CA) by using automated external defibrillators (AEDs). These lay volunteers, who have no traditional responsibility to respond to a medical emergency as part of their primary job description, will form part of a comprehensive, integrated community approach to the treatment of OOH-CA. The study is being conducted at 24 field centers in the United States and Canada. Approximately 1000 community units (e.g. apartment or office buildings, gated communities, sports facilities, senior centers, shopping malls, etc.) were randomized to treatment by trained laypersons who will provide either cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) alone or CPR plus use of an AED, while awaiting arrival of the communitys emergency medical services responders. The primary endpoint is the number of OOH-CA victims who survive to hospital discharge. Secondary endpoints include neurological status, health-related quality of life (HRQL), cost, and cost-effectiveness. Data collection will last approximately 15 months and is expected to be completed in September 2003.

Variation in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation and Transport Practices in the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium: ROC Epistry–Cardiac Arrest

OBJECTIVES To identify variation in patient, event, and scene characteristics of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA) patients assessed by emergency medical services (EMS), and to investigate variation in transport practices in relation to documented prehospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) within eight regional clinical centers participating in the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (ROC) Epistry-Cardiac Arrest. METHODS OOHCA patient, event, and scene characteristics were compared to identify variation in treatment and transport practices across sites. Findings were adjusted for site and standard Utstein covariates. Using logistic regression, these covariates were modeled to identify factors related to the initiation of transport without documented prehospital ROSC as well as survival in these patients. SETTING Eight US and Canadian sites participating in the ROC Epistry-Cardiac Arrest. POPULATION Persons ≥ 20 years with OOHCA who (a) received compressions or shock by EMS providers and/or received bystander AED shock or (b) were pulseless but received no EMS compressions or shock between December 2005 and May 2007. RESULTS 23,233 OOHCA cases were assessed by EMS in the defined period. Resuscitation (treatment) was initiated by EMS in 13,518 cases (58%, site range: 36-69%, p < 0.0001). Of treated cases, 59% were transported (site range: 49-88%, p < 0.0001). Transport was initiated in the absence of documented ROSC for 58% of transported cases (site range: 14-95%, p < 0.0001). Of these transported cases, 8% achieved ROSC before hospital arrival (site range: 5-21%, p < 0.0001) and 4% survived to hospital discharge (site range: 1-21%, p < 0.0001). In cases with transport from the scene initiated after documented ROSC, 28% survived to hospital discharge (site range: 18-44%, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION Initiation of resuscitation and transport of OOHCA and the reporting of ROSC prior to transport markedly varies among ROC sites. This variation may help clarify reported differences in survival rates among sites and provide a target for identifying EMS practices most likely to enhance survival from OOHCA.

A Method to Communicate Patient Preferences About Medically Indicated Life-Sustaining Treatment in the Out-of-Hospital Setting

OBJECTIVE: Patient preferences for life‐sustaining treatment are frequently unknown at critical moments, which often results in clinicians providing treatment that is not medically indicated and/or may not be consistent with patient desires. A consortium of Oregon health care professionals developed the Medical Treatment Coversbeet (MTC) to standardize documentation of patient preferences in the out‐of‐hospital setting by having corresponding physician orders available at the patients location. We describe a unique process of development, evaluation, and implementation of the MTC.

Association Between Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment for Scope of Treatment and In-Hospital Death in Oregon

To examine the relationship between Physician Orders for Life‐Sustaining Treatment (POLST) for Scope of Treatment and setting of care at time of death.

POLST registry do-not-resuscitate orders and other patient treatment preferences

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Emergency physicians' responses to families following patient death

Responses of emergency physicians when they interact with families after a death and their subsequent contact with survivors were examined. Questionnaires were sent to 138 Oregon emergency physicians and completed by 114 (83%). The number of deaths (mean +/- SD) encountered by emergency physicians was 17 +/- 15 per year. The majority of physicians (76%) usually notified the family in person and spent an average of 15 +/- 11 minutes with the family. Subsequent contact with survivors, such as sending sympathy cards, making follow-up calls, or reporting autopsy results, was relatively infrequent. While 94% of our sample group reported a need for training in this area, less than one half received any training during medical school or residency. We suggest implementation of educational programs for physicians and development of outreach programs for survivors.