NEJM. Volume 362:2034-2037 May 27, 2010 Number 21. Related Article by Truog, R. D.
To the Editor: In his Perspective article regarding the performance of futile cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), Truog (Feb. 11 issue)1 calls attention to complexities in end-of-life care and in communicating with loved ones.
Yet he contradicts himself, stating both that "interests of the patient are always primary" and that "interests of the surviving family members may take priority." We argue that physicians are obligated first to the patient’s best interest and only secondarily to the family’s interests, even after the patient’s death; for example, first-person consent laws permit organ donation despite a family’s objections if a patient has expressed this intention . . .
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