Mattie is an 83-year-old woman with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes. Because of her diabetes, she has a very difficult time healing when she is scraped or cut...

Mattie is an 83-year-old woman with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes. Because of her diabetes, she has a very difficult time healing when she is scraped or cut and has been prone to infection of even minor skin contusions. She has discussed her end-of-life wishes with her primary care physician and signed a do-not-resuscitate order. On a routine visit to her pulmonologist, she notes that she's begun having palpitations in her heart. She's referred to a cardiologist, who recommends a catheter ablasion, which involves the insertion of catheter wires into the groin or neck that are sent down to the heart and which intentionally destroy the tissue causing the palpitations. The cardiologist tells Mattie and her son Mitch that the procedure is noninvasive. Mitch insists that she needs to consent to the procedure, but Mattie is hesitant. She consults with her primary care provider (PCP).