Portrayal of resuscitation in medical dramas: proposed effects on patient expectations

DOI: 10.7759 / cureus.14419

Commentary

The public has an unrealistic view of successful CPR, and one potential source of misinformation is medical drama.

Past studies have shown that most cardiac arrests occur in older patients as a result of medical comorbidities, while television depictions of resuscitation are biased toward younger patients with acute injuries.

In addition, the success rates of resuscitations aired in older programs greatly exceed the good results in the real world.

The researchers sought to understand the resuscitation outcomes of current medical dramas and review the literature for evidence that the media influences patient decision-making.

Medical dramas were reviewed to assess the demographics of cardiac arrest victims and resuscitation success rates, and the results were compared to actual patient outcomes.

In medical dramas, the focus continues to be on trauma as the primary cause of cardiac arrest and portrays favorable outcomes more often than expected.

Patients who believe in the overly optimistic prognoses portrayed on television may be more likely to want aggressive medical care in the face of serious illness.

Health care providers need to anticipate the need to counter misinformation when discussing patients' goals of care and end-of-life planning, the researchers said.