Life Line Medical Ambulance
Do Not resuscitate Clarifications (DNR)
These are legal documents for patient wishes in events leading up to, and during a "code" or when a person stops breathing.
DNR-Comfort Care (DNR-CC)
Permit comfort care only, both before and during a cardiac or respirator arrest. This kind of order is generally appropriate for a patient with a terminal illness, short life expectancy or litle chance of surviving CPR.
DNR-Comfort Care Arrest (DNR-CC Arrest)
Permit the use of all resuscitative therapies before an arrest, but not during or after an arrest. A cardiac arrest is defined as an absence of a palpable pulse. A respiratory arrest is defined as no spontaneous respirations or the presence of agonal breathing. Once an arrest is confirmed, all resuscitative efforts should be stopped and comfort care alone initiated.
A DNR order must be in place, signed and present during a cardiac or respiratory arrest. If the DNR is absent, not signed by the patient (or their POA), not signed by the doctor or is not current, then full resuscitation should be preformed. If the patient is awake and talking they can revoke their DNR status to a "full code" status at any time.