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落花飘零 (热门博主)
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code

(2006-10-15 10:34:33) 下一个
在美国医疗中,有一个环节是我在国内行医时候完全没有接触过的,就是code status。

每个病人在住院以后,都会有一份详细地关于紧急抢救,维持生命机器的信息,病人和家属根据自己的人生观念,宗教信仰,健康状况,选择code status,大多数是full code,就是要全力抢救的,就算要用机器维持呼吸也要继续。第二类是chemical code,就是只用药物,不气管插管,不电击,不做任何损伤性的操作。第三类是 no code,就是生命垂危的时候,不做任何抢救,只维持镇静止痛治疗。

对我个人而言,如果治疗只是增加痛苦,而不是希望,那我觉得这样的治疗就是没有意义的,对病人而言添加了不必要的折磨,对医疗队伍来说,是浪费资源。也许我这样说很冷酷。

J女士在ICU已经很长时间了,400多磅,终末期肾病,心力衰竭,糖尿病,脊柱脓肿,全身瘫痪,靠机器维持呼吸。没有人来看她,她的母亲是医疗决定人,每次打电话联系,总是FULL CODE,虽然她从来不来看她。因为是FULL CODE,J女士身上插满了各种导管,房间24小时灯火通明,透析机呼吸机声音此起彼伏,她的生命可以说,痛苦地被机器运行着。

昨天晚上我on call,护士page我说,J女士血压在往下掉,升压药已经到了最大量,血压还是在50-60徘徊。护士说,要不要做动脉留置导管,那样监测血压更准确。我说病人的诊断都很明确了,能用的药物已经都在用了,即使做了动脉留置导管,也不会改变现在的治疗,为什么要增加病人的痛苦。护士对我的决定很怀疑,认为我不积极治疗病人,把责任压在她的身上。我说这个不是责任的问题,是我们必须意识到,有时候医疗也有一个极限,没有目的地盲目治疗和损伤性操作,对病人其实是残忍的。

但是护士觉得我这个intern很没有责任感,坚持让我page on call ICU attending,那个时候是早上三点半,我打电话到attending家里,把这件事情跟他说了,他说you are absolutely right,我把电话给那个护士,然后起身离开了。那个护士再没有page我。后来我不断地在电脑上check J女士的血压和其他指标,没有恶化,也没有好转,一直到我离开医院。

早上8点多的时候,突然medical alert,(就是医院某处有病人发生紧急情况,on call的医生需要立即赶去抢救),在心脏科病房,一个老年男病人突然停止呼吸,我们准备插管的时候,护士冲进来说,病人早上刚刚签了chemical code,不能插管,不能电击,我们只能用药,幸运的是,过了一会儿,他的呼吸逐渐恢复了。

他的妻子赶来以后,我的住院医生再次跟她确认了code status,妻子留着泪说,他希望有尊严地活着,有尊严地死去,我认为他是对的。我们走进房间,她在丈夫的额头上亲了一下,叫着他的名字,他慢慢醒过来,朝我们笑笑,然后对他妻子说,你去哪里拉,我看不见你,一着急,就晕过去了。

作为医护工作者,我们不是从天堂飞下来的天使,拯救每一个需要拯救的生命,我们只是一个平凡的职担?米约貉У降闹?度グ镏?颐悄芄话镏?娜耍?匾?氖侨鲜兜阶约旱募?蓿?鲇幸庖宓氖虑椤5?窃谇П渫蚧?囊搅剖澜纾?龅秸庖坏悖?翟谔?蚜恕?br />




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落花飘零 回复 悄悄话 on call today again, just leave a quick note here, Mrs J passed away this morning...
Angelboy 回复 悄悄话 To wuximm, haha..... it is kind of funny that we keep talking about the DNR in Luohua’s place while she is struggling in saving patient live. Indeed, you and Luohua are truly knowledgeable about the US hospital settings. Regarding the claim for the current ‘consultation’, if you can provide a CPT code, I may take the bill, but based on my knowledge there is no such code for charging online E-consultation, am I right? A modified code won’t get process. Haha, please excuse my defense and I am just kidding!!! Hopefully one day, fee for E-consultation will be incorporated into the next step of EMR implementation. Payers will recognize a win-win situation and be willing to pay. Nice to talk to you.
wuximm 回复 悄悄话 To angelboy: there is a pre-printed form for DNR order, they are usually placed in the first a few pages of medical record along with advanced directive or living will if pt has one, attending physician has to sign and specify what exactly code status is, such as: no CPR, no shock, no intubation, want HD or MICU transfer. Pt or power of attorney or family members sign their initial. Attending physician has to renew it every 3-7 days by signing initial and date. Also, in the physician's progress notes, usually will document that decision making processes by saying "discussed with pt or so and so, decided to have code status as such". Are you working for insurance company or lawyer, who requires you know all these details? I am going to charge you for fees, ha-ha. But I enjoy to answer your questions, make me feel I am so "knowledgeable".
To worm: yes, in hospital, there are all sorts of color code, I think code red means there is fire, code blue means missing newborn baby-usually is because the new father is too excited and bring a newborn baby out of boundary and tricked alarm, code zebra means bioterrorism, etc. I hope Luhao doesn't mind I take up too much of her space.
Angelboy 回复 悄悄话 To wuximm: thanks very much for detailed info, it certainly help a lot. So my understanding is that there might not be a word 'code' written in chart, it is just the word mainly used between providers communication, but there were full detail of DNR-related deion listed in pt chart, and all of them were raised and confirmed by pt. Thank again.
furfurworm 回复 悄悄话 thanks. what is red code and blue code then?
wuximm 回复 悄悄话 To Angelboy; Ideally, every patient should have a code status, if not, we assume full code. In the different hospitals, there are different names, such as DNR or modified DNR, DNR I or DNR II, etc. Pt makes decisions if he/she is mentally competent, or follows pt's advanced directive if he/she has one, or neither of above two situations, next kin or family members make decisions for pt. Full code means when pt is dying, physicians have to resuscitate pt in every possible ways, which include: CPR (usually will break up pt's ribs), electrical shock trying to restart heart beats, intubation to keep pt on ventilating machine, and using vasal pressor to maintain blood pressure, etc. Modified DNR or Chemical code means pt wants certain things done but not all, for instance, pt may not want any invasive treatments such as: No CPR, Shock and intubation, but they do want to have all other treatments like IV antibiotics, vasal pressor ( chemical code), any anti-arrhythmic drugs, and sometime including hemodialysis. Complete DNR means comfort measures only such as pain medications, O2, feeding, don't give any resuscitation effort so pt dies in peace.
Just like Luhao stated, it depends on pt's condition and religious beliefs..., physicians will give some advises to help the decision making. Full code doesn't benefit everybody, such as terminally ill pts, it only adds on pain and suffering and prolongs dying process. I hope my explanation make some sense to you.
Angelboy 回复 悄悄话 落花, 谢谢, 又学到新东西了, J像是有septic shock. 另外, 你说的三类code status会在每一住院病人的charts 里注明吗? 印象中,做chart review时, 没看过这几个词, 但是,见过DNR 和 DNT(do not treat), 不知是否DNR ='chemical code', DNT='no code', 望指教.
wuximm 回复 悄悄话 I believe everybody should have a "advanced directive" and "living will". It is human nature that we want to live independent life with dignity, and we die in peace when time comes. In my experience, well educated and wealthy elderly patients usually choose DNR ( don't resuscitate), and less educated and poorer patients choose to have full code. The case you encounted is very common, these patients lived horrific life, when they die, there are no body even care to make a decision for them, so they will die in a slow and painful death as well. You did absolutely right in this case, place a Art. line only adding on pain and suffering to a dying pt and it would not change outcome, maybe make it easier for the nurse to monitor her BP, that is all.
北鹤 回复 悄悄话 哇,很受教育啊,从来不知道有这么个code status...

妳在第一线上,对生命的理解一定是更加的真切和progmatic...

好文!
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