Doctors ‘less likely to resuscitate’ very ill patients after Covid pandemic

The findings mark a shift in attitude toward end of life decision-making after the pandemic prompted thousands more patients than usual to require it

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Covid-19 may have made doctors in the UK more unwilling to resuscitate very ill and frail patients, a survey suggests.

The findings, published in the Journal of Medical Ethics, point towards a shift in attitudes after the pandemic forced medics to make thousands more end-of-life decisions.

Researchers were keen to find out if Covid-19 had significantly changed the way in which doctors take such decisions, with particular interest in controversial ‘Do Not Attempt Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation’ (DNACPR) decisions and treatment escalation to intensive care (ICU).