Italy Overwhelmed Amid Coronavirus, Patients Over 80 ‘Will Be Left To Die’
It’s being reported that due to the overwhelming amount of coronavirus patients in Italy, those aged over 80 or in poor health “will be left to die.”
As Italy enters its 15th day of lockdown, latest figures show that more than 1,000 people have passed, with more than 21,000 infected, and the number’s rising daily. Due to the crisis, intensive care treatment is being limited, and the possibility of patients being denied isn’t too far away.
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A document, produced by the civil protection department of the Piedmont region, reads, “The criteria for access to intensive therapy in cases of emergency must include age of less than 80 or a score on the Charlson comorbidity Index [which indicates how many other medical conditions the patient has] of less than 5.”
In addition, its stated that “the ability of the patient to recover from resuscitation will also be considered.”
A doctor tells Telegraph, “[Who lives and who dies] is decided by age and by the [patient’s] health conditions. This is how it is in a war.”
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The document also reads:
“The growth of the current epidemic makes it likely that a point of imbalance between the clinical needs of patients with COVID-19 and the effective availability of intensive resources will be reached.
Should it become impossible to provide all patients with intensive care services, it will be necessary to apply criteria for access to intensive treatment, which depends on the limited resources available.
The criteria set out guidelines if the situation becomes of such an exceptional nature as to make the therapeutic choices on the individual case dependent on the availability of resources, forcing [hospitals] to focus on those cases in which the cost/benefit ratio is more favorable for clinical treatment.”