Use of Life-Sustaining Therapies for Patients With Ebola Virus Disease
Authors: Scott D. Halpern, Ezekiel J. Emanuel
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2015)

Letters7 July 2015Use of Life-Sustaining Therapies for Patients With Ebola Virus DiseaseScott D. Halpern, MD, PhD and Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhDScott D. Halpern, MD, PhDFrom University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Search for more papers by this author and Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhDFrom University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L15-5106-2 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:We appreciate Dr. Berger's interest in our commentary, but his argument is based on inaccurate information. It is true that attempting CPR is the “default” policy in contemporary practice. However, among all patients who do not opt out of this default and who experience in-hospital sudden cardiac arrest, survival to hospital discharge is now 15% (1). Furthermore, time is of the essence. For example, among patients with shockable rhythms (ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia), resuscitation within 2 minutes leads to nearly twice the survival rate as resuscitation after 2 minutes (2). Thus, the need to first don personal protective ...References1. Goldberger ZD, Chan PS, Berg RA, Kronick SL, Cooke CR, Lu M, et al; American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines—Resuscitation (formerly National Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) Investigators. Duration of resuscitation efforts and survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest: an observational study. Lancet. 2012;380:1473-81. [PMID: 22958912] doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60862-9 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Chan PS, Krumholz HM, Nichol G, Nallamothu BK; American Heart Association National Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Investigators. Delayed time to defibrillation after in-hospital cardiac arrest. N Engl J Med. 2008;358:9-17. [PMID: 18172170] doi:10.1056/NEJMoa0706467 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Scott D. Halpern, MD, PhD; Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhDAffiliations: From University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Disclosures: Authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterest Forms.do?msNum=M14-2611. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoEthical Guidance on the Use of Life-Sustaining Therapies for Patients With Ebola in Developed Countries Scott D. Halpern and Ezekiel J. Emanuel Ethical Guidance on the Use of Life-Sustaining Therapies for Patients With Ebola in Developed Countries Scott D. Halpern and Ezekiel J. Emanuel Use of Life-Sustaining Therapies for Patients With Ebola Virus Disease Jeffrey T. Berger Use of Life-Sustaining Therapies for Patients With Ebola Virus Disease Jeffrey T. Berger Metrics Cited byEbola virus disease 7 July 2015Volume 163, Issue 1Page: 70KeywordsCardiopulmonary resuscitationConflicts of interestDisclosureEbola virusHeartPatient advocacyPersonal protective equipmentResuscitationTachycardiaVentricular fibrillation ePublished: 7 July 2015 Issue Published: 7 July 2015 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2015 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...