My mother is just coming out of surgery (86 year old) - broken leg - in surgery about 2 hours and once they took out the breathing tube, she is doing shallow breathing . She has dimentia and doesn t really know us anymore. She has a do not resuscitate order. They put her on an oxygen mask to see if that would help. They are contemplating putting the breathing tube back in over-night. If we don t put the breathing tube back in, what could happen? Will she be in more pain? If we allow the breathing tube, will that be violating the do not resuscitate order?
Hi, Thank you for posting your query. I can understand the discomfort your mother is going through, because of pain and breathing difficulty. I can also understand the dilemma you and family members are facing. It is important to keep your mother pain-free and comfortable. From that point of view, adequate oxygen supply is important. This should be given by oxygen mask. Putting her on ventilator through throat tube is against the \"do not resuscitate\" orders. In addition, it will add pain & discomfort to her. Best wishes, Chat Doctor.