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Docs, lawyers debate resuscitation ethics

NEW YORK, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- The question of who has the right to make the final decision over a patient's last breath is being debated by U.S. doctors and lawmakers.

The New York Times says many doctors believe they know best whether a dying patient should be given CPR, while relatives often believe that "a miracle could be just a chest compression away."

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In New York, a physician must go to court to override the insistence of the patient's designated representative, while Texas "ultimately sides with physicians," the report said.

The Times said families often believe that consenting to a "Do Not Resuscitate" order implies they are giving up on their loved one.

While CPR can be successful in patients who have a sudden, unexpected heart attack or severe respiratory distress, it was not intended to be used routinely for very sick patients, the newspaper said.

Some studies show that the long-term survival for hospitalized patients given CPR is about 15 percent.

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