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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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Docs Get List of Who to Let Die in Pandemic

Don't waste resources on the elderly, handicapped: report

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(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

Emergency workers practice triage in this undated file photo.
Emergency workers practice triage in this undated file photo.   (Getty Images)
The elderly are amongst those who would be allowed to die in a sweeping pandemic, according to a new report from government agencies.
The elderly are amongst those who would be allowed to die in a sweeping pandemic, according to a new report from government agencies.   (Magnum Photos)
"If a mass casualty critical care event were to occur tomorrow, many people ... may have to forgo life-sustaining interventions owing to deficiencies in supply or staffing," a new report says.   (Getty Images)
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