No Code status on inmates

nancykday · Oct 14, 2007

Does anyone have experience with terminally ill inmates and their being DNR or No Code status? What are the legal ramifications? What kind of paperwork would be needed?

The i/m are evaluated by the psychiatrist to determine if they are mentally competent before they draw up their advanced directives. They have the opportunity to change them at anytime duriing if they choose. If the i/m becomes terminally ill and do not have advanced directives on their chart, they are to be evaluated by 2 MD , it is evaluated by central office, and then the MD can determine their code status. We hav never had any problems with code status in our state that I am aware of

VegRN · Oct 16, 2007

In my experience, we have had lots of problems with inmates who insist on being a full code even when their disease is terminal. They still want "everything done" even if I point out that no amount of CPR or machines will save them (after politely telling them the facts, I get blunt). I kid you not, two inmates in the last year who were going to die in a matter of days to weeks still wanted "everything done". Even days before they died they were insisting that they be a full code.

In both cases, the hospital where they were last at made them "no code's". And the prison Md concurred since any interventions such as a code would be futile.

I have not heard that there were legal problems from it. Seemed to be ok since several drs declared treatment to be futile.