Article

An unsuccessful resuscitation: The families' and doctors' experiences of the unexpected death of a patient

Published in: South African Family Practice
Volume 46 , issue 8 , 2004 , pages: 20–25

DOI: 10.1080/20786204.2004.10873122

Author(s): A Isaacs Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, , RJ Mash Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care,

Keywords: Breaking bad news , resuscitation , communication , emergency medicine

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Abstract

Background: The objective was to elicit families' experience of the death of a family member at the Elsies River Community Health Centre, their feelings towards the staff involved in the resuscitation and their opinions about how things could be improved. The study also elicited the doctors' experiences of communicating with the families of patients who had died in the emergency unit.

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