Deresuscitate
Deresuscitate is a verb describing the act of reversing or stopping resuscitation efforts, typically CPR, when a patient is in cardiac arrest or respiratory failure. In common medical language, this action is more often described as withdrawing resuscitation or withholding resuscitation. The term is relatively rare and not widely used in formal guidelines.
Etymology and usage: The word derives from de- meaning reversal and resuscitate. It appears mainly in ethical
Clinical context: In emergency or hospital settings, a decision to deresuscitate arises when ongoing CPR is
Ethical and legal considerations: Deresuscitation involves patient autonomy, beneficence, and justice, and is governed by local
Terminology and alternatives: Because deresuscitate can be ambiguous, many clinicians prefer phrases such as "withdrawal of