A DNR order is short for a do-not-resuscitate order, and this is a written directive that is signed by a patient, doctor, and witness, to indicate that the patient in question does not want to be resuscitated in the event of cardiac or respiratory arrest. This means that medical staff will not perform any form of resuscitation on the patients, including CPR and surgical resuscitation. A DNR is available to any patient who does not wish to be resuscitated in the event of respiratory or cardiac arrest, and in many cases, are signed and issued at the request of the patient or official authority acting on behalf of the patient following diagnosis of chronic illness, such as the asbestos related cancer known as mesothelioma.
In normal circumstances, when a patient suffers cardiac or respiratory arrest, emergency services will attempt to resuscitate the patient. However, if the patient has a DNR order, then medical staff will not attempt any form of resuscitation, and for some people, this is what they desire. Many patients feel that artificial resuscitation following cardiac or respiratory arrest interferes with the natural death process, and by having a DNR order in place, they can ensure that they do not have any procedures that may interfere with their natural death process.
Another reason why some patients opt for DNR orders is because CPR and other forms of resuscitation do not always work properly, and in some cases, although it may restore heartbeat and breathing, it may result in other problems such as brain damage, and the patient may be left in a worse medical state than they were in prior to arrest. For many, the prospect of continuing in an even worse state or in intense pain is simply not what they want, and therefore, they prefer to let nature take its course without any medical intervention.
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