In-Hospital Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

To the Editor.—  In their recent report regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), Taffet et al¹ indicated that none of their patients aged 70 years and older lived to discharge. We are being asked quite rightly to consider issuing a do-not-resuscitate order during the course of hospitalization, and now, even at the time of admission,² when it does not seem that a specific patient's prognosis justifies the performance of these heroic measures. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is being described increasingly as "futile"² and as working relatively infrequently.³ And now, an official do-not-resuscitate policy has become a requirement for hospital accreditation.⁴With the anticipated increasing age of our population, it is apparent that the issue of age becoming a criterion in the decision-making process is real and may come to play a major role in the decision of the issuing of a do-not-resuscitate order, especially if it is perceived as