i'm not going to enter the debate on the whys and wherefores of resus but you can never trust "relatives" as a studnet nurse, many years ago, when relatives could decide that their father/mother shouldn't be told they had cancer and were dying.... we had a "family" in to discuss a DNR ( Do Not Resusitate) order being placed on their relative, as it was, this was probably the best thing, judging by their past and present medical history etc, this "family" were quite positive this was the right thing to do, a few days later more "family" turned up, family we didn't know about - it turns out the quicker he died the quicker the 1st set of "family" could get their hands on the estate...... all hell broke out. but i learn't never to trust relatives, especially when it came to death and decisions made about DNR orders