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Resuscitation wristband

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Dignity2020

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Hello - I heard of someone local who wears a wristband in case she develops Covid, which reads;Do not resuscitate: Diabetes Type 1. I am curious if they are a common thing to have, and if of any effect in subsequent treatment in hospital. I am type 2, so such a band would be wrong for me, although I am not keen on the ventillator option as described. Martin
 
It's not something I've heard of or would consider tbh.

In fact it's an absolutely ridiculous idea.
 
Only an idiot would 'want' to die.
 
@kev-w My mum was no idiot, but wanted to die as she had gangrene in her foot, and also had other serious health issues, and died an agonising death. I'm too upset and quite frankly angry to put more than this, but you don't know everyone's past or present circumstances.
 
When my father's mother gave birth to him, she died. The doctor was downstairs writing out the death certificate when her sister arrived, dragged her onto the floor and did CPR - brought her back. There had to be a special court to say she wasn't dead. She survived to see her son grow up, marry and have two children - died before the third one was born - but she had only lived half her life when she was brought back.
People are recovering after weeks on ventilators, so I don't understand why anyone decline resuscitation.
 
Referring to the op that I replied to so I stand by what I said.
 
My father's family - on the female side were nurses and midwives and had many battles with local doctors wanting to play God, as they put it, back before the Great war - and during it. No one should die in agony.
 
The only time I saw "DNR" on a patients official notes was my dad's.. Sometimes there is just no cure for old age.
HCPs evaded my question "is my father dying in your professional experience?" They actually gave him 72 hours. He died in 23 in my arms.
& sometimes, I honestly believe it's not worth the trauma of resuscitation just for a flutter of life & to reluctantly let them go again..
I witnessed an aunt go down like that with lung cancer..

So, who would make a DNR choice.? Someone who has given considerable thought....
 
kev-w said:
Referring to the op that I replied to so I stand by what I said.
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However, is this a wristband souly regarding covid?
Or an additional "T1 if found confused just give sugar & turn the right way up..."
 
Resurgam said:
she was brought back.
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That is a truly amazing and wonderful story.

Dignity2020 said:
I am curious if they are a common thing to have, and if of any effect in subsequent treatment in hospital.
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I think anyone can carry something similar, here's a website

https://www.medicalert.org.uk/news/...XTO4j_ueTIuNyy_WJRUoS-W9iaJTqcsRoCaqgQAvD_BwE

You might decide that you do not want any complicated procedures to be performed, ventilator might be a good example. You might even think the money should be spent elsewhere in the NHS. All sorts of reasons I think.

My father had a DNR bracelet, he was 92 and had had enough, and he wanted to be with mum. He also asked for palliative care only while in hospital, which is why he died of pneumonia, technically something he could possibly have survived. My MIL is 93 and she's had enough as well. I can only say that I don't want to die yet, but I appreciate that that day might come.

With reference to Covid, I wouldn't relish the thought of being on a ventilator for any great length of time, there's a good description of what happens here https://www.nytimes.com/article/ventilator-coronavirus.html. I've heard of some patients being on the ventilator because of Covid for 5 weeks. The damage that Covid can do to heart, lungs, liver and kidneys can be devastating. Different patients are getting different results.
 
Mother in law highly aggressive brain tumor that was inoperable turned her from a bright intelligent lively woman into a shell of a human being within a fortnight doctors gave her 4 days to live but was 7 days before she finally passed.

One of the most traumatic periods our family ever experienced.

The medical staff removed water from bedside in order to hasten matters but father in law refused to accept that and kept replacing it and trying to give her water he never even under those circumstances and in what most people would call a hopeless situation gave up hope.

In my view a DNR is giving up on hope and while there's hope there's life.

Edit to add my Mother's last words to me were "Don't worry John I'm not dying you know"

Ten minutes later she was lying on the bedroom floor with me attempting CPR even if she had a DNR it would not have stopped me trying to save her. Nor would of I allowed the paramedics who turned up shortly after to give up on her I was not prepared to let her go without a fight.
 
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To be honest, I think there is a massive difference between being on life support, aiming for a recovery, as can be the case with COVID (and several other conditions), to where an individual is being actively resuscitated from a cardiac arrest or such. Whilst that is a fascinating debate with a broad range of beliefs, it is not the topic here.

This thread is meandering off onto personal anecdotes for family members and so on, rather than addressing the OPs query, which is whether a DNR band is a common thing for people to wear.

Personally, I don't believe such bands are common, and I feel uncertain any HCP would act upon that alone, without seeking clarification from relative, if any were around.

Let's get back on track please folks.
 
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I have never seen one and of course as you say the reason for wearing one or not is totally unimportant for this thread so I will say no I don't believe it is common to wear one and leave the thread for something else that actually open to discussion rather than a mere statement of yes or no.
 
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JohnEGreen said:
Nor would of I allowed the paramedics who turned up shortly after to give up on her I was not prepared to let her go without a fight.
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I understand your distress but sincerely hope you wouldn’t threaten violence to my colleagues. Sadly if a person is in the final stages of an illness, CPR is futile and wouldn’t be continued. Properly done, it’s an extremely brutal process, and not something I would want done to me if I was frail and at the end of my life. I’m sorry for your loss, that must have been awful for you and your family x
 

Hi,

Hope yer well?

What are the UK protocols regarding responding to someone displaying the clear instruction of "DNR?"
 
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Jaylee said:
Hi,

Hope yer well?

What are the UK protocols regarding responding to someone displaying the clear instruction of "DNR?"
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The “clear instruction” has to be in the form of a specific form countersigned by doctors. Nothing else is legally binding. If someone feels that strongly about not being resuscitated, they should speak to their GP and set it up. If we see a tattoo, wristband, medic alert bracelet or whatever, we’d ask bystanders if they had a proper DNR, or if they were alone one of us would have a look for one while the other one makes a start on the resuscitation. If we find one, and it’s legal then we cease the effort. So a tattoo or bit of jewellery isn’t a legal instruction, just a pointer that we should look for one.
 

That is my understanding too.

Here in the UK arranging a DNR requires more than wearing a wristband which is of no legal standing. And things have got a little more complex with the change of name from DNR to DNAR, and the use of the term 'living will'/

https://www.which.co.uk/later-life-...-attempt-resuscitation-decisions-alvg41p1jzjb

this is what the NHS website says on the subject
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/end-of-life-care/advance-decision-to-refuse-treatment/

this is a sample form from a doc surgery website
https://www.mysurgerywebsite.co.uk/website/j83023/files/dnr_template.pdf
 
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