A study published in the International Journal of General Medicine analyzed the influence of do-not-resuscitate orders on heart failure performance measures.
Researchers examined the medical reports of patients with acute heart failure who were admitted between April 2013 and March 2015. They collected demographic data, information on the presence or absence of a do-not-resuscitate order within 24 hours of admission and inhospital mortality.
Of 394 patient reports examined, 30 percent had do-not-resuscitate orders. Additionally, of 183 patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction, 24 percent had do-not-resuscitate orders.
The study shows those with do-not-resuscitate orders had higher inhospital mortality as compared to those who did not have the orders. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of four key quality measures.
"[Do-not-resuscitate] orders did not affect performance measures, but they were associated with higher inhospital mortality among acute heart failure patients," study authors concluded.