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Palliative Medicine, Vol. 17, No. 5, 465-467 (2003)
DOI: 10.1191/0269216303pm749sr

The potential role for automatic external defibrillators in palliative care units

Andrew Thorns

Pilgrims Hospice, East Kent NHS Trust, Margate, Kent

Craig Gannon

Princess Alice Hospice, Esher, Surrey

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has received frequent attention by professionals and the public in recent times. Concerns regarding the potential harms for little chance of success have caused palliative care units (PCUs) doubts about initiating CPR. However, there appears to be a moral responsibility to offer CPR to some, carefully selected, patients. Automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) have been shown to significantly increase chances of survival following CPR and are simple to use, even for nonprofessionals. It is argued that AEDs may increase the moral imperative on PCUs to offer CPR to certain patients and provide the basis for a necessary debate on where the border between appropriate active treatment and a disturbance to the aim of a peaceful death rests.

Key Words: automatic external defibrillators • cardiopulmonary resuscitation • end-of-life decision making • ethics • palliative care


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E. J Hall and D. E Swann
The role of automatic external de" brillators
Palliative Medicine, January 1, 2004; 18(1): 75 - 75.
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