what is dnr in medical

A do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order is a medical order written by a doctor that instructs healthcare providers not to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if a patients breathing stops or if their heart stops beating. A DNR order is a legal document that means a person has decided not to have CPR attempted on them if their heart or breathing stops. It is specific about CPR and does not have instructions for other treatments, such as pain medicine, other medicines, or nutrition. A DNR order allows patients to choose whether or not they want CPR in an emergency. It is usually created before an emergency occurs and is written by the doctor only after talking about it with the patient (if possible), the proxy, or the patients family. A DNR order may be part of a hospice care plan, which focuses on treating symptoms such as pain or shortness of breath and maintaining comfort. A DNR order does not mean "do not treat" and other treatments that may prolong life can still be provided. A DNR order specifies when someone doesn’t want CPR in an emergency, and it becomes part of the patients medical chart.