Monday, November 1, 2010

Family, doctors battle over ‘do not resuscitate’ order

Family, doctors battle over ‘do not resuscitate’ order - thestar.com: As Mann Kee Li lies in hospital fighting dire prospects, his family is engaged in a life-or-death struggle, not with the cancer spreading through his body, but with the doctors treating it. Li, a 46-year-old Toronto accountant and father of two young boys, wants doctors to use all medical measures possible to save him in the event of a life-threatening emergency. He made those intentions clear to his doctors when he entered the hospital in August. He wrote it in a power of attorney document and confirmed it in a videotape statement, his lawyers say.

While his doctor initially agreed to respect those wishes, physicians unilaterally reversed the decision a week ago without consultation and imposed a “do not resuscitate” order, his family alleges. “There’s something seriously wrong with the system,” says David Li, Mann Kee’s younger brother who travelled to Toronto from his home in Singapore this week to join the family’s 24-hour watch at the hospital.

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