In most ICUs, it’s standard practice to send relatives out of the room when a patient codes, but a growing body of research—and one doctor’s personal experience—suggests relatives should be allowed to witness the medical team’s efforts.

Why most hospitals don’t let families witness a code
In residency, Lamas writes, she was told that the typical response to a code in the ICU was to send the patient’s relatives away. “This is not a spectator sport,” she explains. “Ribs break. Limbs flail. Blood sprays. Dignity fades.” Plus, there was a perceived risk that family members could get in the way during a code, Lamas writes.

But new research suggests this move to keep relatives away “might have been wrong,” according to Lamas.

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