Patients with Ebola should receive all medical measures and experimental interventions including ICU care. This includes massive fluid replacement and dialysis which has been reportedly employed. But the line should be drawn at CPR. Unilateral do-not-resuscitate orders would seem justifiable under these circumstances, if surrogates do not otherwise agree to a DNR order.

The utility of CPR should be discussed with patients and surrogates as with any other patient. Patients and families should be assured of all available intensive care and comfort measures but the presumption of resuscitation should be reconsidered in acute care settings. Hospitals should develop policies that reflect their views on resuscitation before a patient arrives. State departments of health and federal officials should review laws -- and policies -- on presumed resuscitation, as they relate to Ebola, clinical practice and the public health. These policies should emphasize proportionate, compassionate and realistic goals of care and must also protect staff from post-hoc reassessment of their actions.