Who should MDs let die in a pandemic? Report offers answers

AP ^ | 05/04/08 | Lindsey Tanner

[TornadoAlley3]

CHICAGO – Doctors know some patients needing lifesaving care won't get it in a flu pandemic or other disaster. The gut-wrenching dilemma will be deciding who to let die. Now, an influential group of physicians has drafted a grimly specific list of recommendations for which patients wouldn't be treated. They include the very elderly, seriously hurt trauma victims, severely burned patients and those with severe dementia.

The suggested list was compiled by a task force whose members come from prestigious universities, medical groups, the military and government agencies. They include the Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services.

The proposed guidelines are designed to be a blueprint for hospitals “so that everybody will be thinking in the same way” when pandemic flu or another widespread health care disaster hits, said Dr. Asha Devereaux. She is a critical care specialist in San Diego and lead writer of the task force report.

[TornadoAlley3]

wonder if smokers are on the list? :)

[TornadoAlley3]

To prepare, hospitals should designate a triage team with the Godlike task of deciding who will and who won’t get lifesaving care, the task force wrote. Those out of luck are the people at high risk of death and a slim chance of long-term survival. But the recommendations get much more specific, and include:

People older than 85.

Those with severe trauma, which could include critical injuries from car crashes and shootings.

Severely burned patients older than 60.

Those with severe mental impairment, which could include advanced Alzheimer’s disease.

Those with a severe chronic disease, such as advanced heart failure, lung disease or poorly controlled diabetes.

[SIDENET]

Ugly people.

[ChicagahAl]

"those with severe dementia"

Obama voters.

[MaxMax]

So basically all Dems.

[Blogger]

4 L8er

[randomhero97]

I think I will refrain from posting my feelings about this article.

All I'm going to say is that if these people think there ivory tower will protect them from the "flu" they may be right. However, there is plenty else they should be worried about.

[SIDENET]

Obama voters.

Some of them are dead already, especially in Illinois.

[rdl6989]

This will be an everyday occurrence under socialized medicine.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Triaging patients in this sort of situation is to ensure that those likeliest to survive get treated. The problem with burn patients is that their treatment makes heavy use of medical resources, and they are unlikely to survive in any case if severely burned.

Triage techniques of this sort are used by the military and in any disaster situation. It isn’t pretty, but plans need to be made.

[PetroniusMaximus]

Take away the adjectives and your probably closer to the truth:

“Those with trauma, ... burned patients ... mental impairment, ... Alzheimer’s disease... disease, such as advanced heart failure, lung disease or ... diabetes.”

[GeronL]

“Did you vote for Obama??” is their only question

[OneWingedShark]

Politicians, Illegal Immigrants, Prisoners, and Federal Employees not directly employed by a defense agency or FBI/CIA/BP. In that order.

[OneWingedShark]

>Triage techniques of this sort are used by the military and in any disaster situation. It isn’t pretty, but plans need to be made.

This is very true.

[Freedom56v2]

Whatever happened to saving lives—as many as possible? This reminds me of the “Values Clarification” stuff that has been in schol; i.e. if you have to throw someone over from a lifeboat, who would you toss and why?

[erman]

..... triage society for those that will help sustain the country...

So I guess democrats, liberals and all the nipple people are S.O.L.

[Cindy]

TRIAGE

Quote - Snippet:

http://dictionary.reference.com/dic?q=triage&search=search

–noun
1. the process of sorting victims, as of a battle or disaster, to determine medical priority in order to increase the number of survivors.
2. the determination of priorities for action in an emergency.
–adjective
3. of, pertaining to, or performing the task of triage: a triage officer.
–verb (used with object)
4. to act on or in by triage: to triage a crisis.
Origin:
1925–30; < F: sorting, equiv. to tri(er) to sort (see try ) + -age -age

[Gator113]

Ditto to what you didn’t say.

[FormerACLUmember]

Basic Rule of Life: Always, always be highly suspicious of a self appointed "task force whose members come from prestigious universities, medical groups, the military and government agencies."

Obama, Pelosi, and the rest of the democrats are drooling and can't wait to start murdering the frail, the infirm, and the defenseless.

[IDRATHERNOT]

Buy some Obama campaign buttons off of eBay to make sure you get “cut” privileges in the triage line.