Choosing a Natural Death Over CPR: A Preference for Many.

CPR can sometimes save lives, but it also has a dark side. The traumatic nature of CPR may be why as many as half of patients who survive wish they hadn't received it, even though they lived. Injuries sustained from the resuscitation can sometimes mean a patient will never return to their previous selves. The true purpose of CPR is to “bridge the person to an intervention,” but for many that distance is too great. Physicians should initiate conversations early with patients, especially for those who are elderly or have chronic medical problems, so that their wishes are known in advance if they suffer a cardiac arrest.