During the admission process for elective surgery, a patient hands you a document that specifies their desire not to be placed on life support in the event of a catastrophic complication. This document is properly signed and witnessed. How should the medical team proceed regarding this document?
Confirm that the document is a DNR and inform the surgical team accordingly.
Record the patient's living will in their medical record and ensure the surgical team is aware of its existence.
Advise the patient that medical decisions are ultimately up to the surgical team and disregard the document.
File the document without notifying medical staff as it only applies to post-operative care.
The document provided by the patient is known as a living will. It is a legal document in which a person specifies what actions should be taken for their health if they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves because of illness or incapacity. In this scenario, the medical team should note the existence of the living will in the patient's medical record and ensure that the directives within the living will are accessible and respected in the event of a catastrophic complication during surgery. Other documents such as DNR or DNI orders may also govern what medical treatments a patient does or does not want to receive, but since the question explicitly refers to a document describing the patient's wishes regarding life support, a living will is most appropriate here.
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