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December 3, 2008 2:34:57 AM CST

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Docs Get List of Who to Let Die in Pandemic

Posted May 5, 08 2:30 PM CDT in US,  Science & Health 

(Newser) – If the US were to suffer a devastating pandemic, and doctors didn’t have resources to save everyone, who should die? A number of universities, government agencies, and other groups mulled that grim scenario recently, sending doctors a brutally ruthless list of who to let die. The report ensures “everybody will be thinking in the same way” should a disaster hit, said one expert.

The report says doctors shouldn’t treat patients who are:

  • Over 85 years old
  • Badly injured
  • Severely burned and over age 60
  • Severely mentally impaired
  • Suffering from Alzheimer’s
  • Suffering from chronic disease, including heart failure, lung disease and poorly controlled diabetes

Source Associated Press

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Department of Homeland Security • outbreak • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention • medical treatment • Department of Health


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