ED Legal Letter – December 1, 2005
December 1, 2005
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The "emergency" DNR order
It is reasonably settled that from a legal and/or ethical viewpoint that a competent patient has the right to direct his or her own medical care in any scenario. However, when the patient who is receiving medical care is no longer legally competent or never was legally competent to undertake medical decisions, the legal and ethical waters become murky.