This week I had the pleasure of being on the podcast The Reality Check (TRC) to discuss the issue of “Do Not Resuscitate”. TRC is a weekly podcast that explores a wide range of controversies and curiosities using science and critical thinking.

TRC had heard the SGEM#59: Can I Get A Witness (Family Members Present During CPR) episode. We mentioned the success rate of CPR on TV versus reality. This reminded them of a Radio Lab podcast called “The Bitter End“. In that episode they discussed the John Hopkins Precursors Study.

The Precursor Study looks at medical students graduating between 1948-1964. Over 1,000 doctors have kept a medical chart for over 50 years. As this cohort has aged various questions have been asked. One of the more recent areas of study were end of life concerns. The study showed a gap between what doctors would want for themselves versus what patients want doctors to do for them.

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Have a listen to The Reality Check and Radio Lab episode on end of life issues. The are both excellent podcast series. Don’t panic, the SGEM will be back with a new skeptical/critical appraisal this week.

Remember to be skeptical of anything you learn,

even if you heard it on The Skeptics’ Guide to Emergency Medicine.