Why would one write this in their medical chart?

Question

During Ethics class our professor mentioned that some people write in "Do Not Resuscitate" in the medical charts. Why would they do that? Wouldn't resuscitating them mean helping them live? Wouldn't they die if people weren't resuscitated?

Please, serious answers only. If you're going to reply with words like "Duh" or statesments like "Are you really that stupid?" I'd rather not read your childish opinion.

Thanks.

Thank you all for your answers. I hadn't heard of Terri Schiavo's story and looked it up. It was very heartbreaking. I wish nobody had to make a decision like that for their loved one.

Thank you again.

Answer 1

This is to prevent "extraordinary measures" to keep someone alive. If they have been without oxygen/breath for too long, they do not want to be brought back and put on life-saving equipment if they are not going to have a quality of life.

Answer 2

There are many reasons for this. If a person has a terminal illness they may want the DNR. People who are dieing from painful diseases do not want to be saved. Sometimes it is kinder to let them go. It is a decision everyone should make now while they are healthy, as it is a very hard decision for the family to make. If you have no family, and no DNR, the hospitals will keep you "alive" as long as they can because they have to. I am sure you read all about the Terry Shiavo case, a real tragedy.

Answer 3

If people dont have medical intervention after a cardiac arrest or something where the heart and breathing stops they will die.

Some people choose to have a DNR order put on their notes. I think this is mainly people who have been ill for a very long time or are in severe pain that cannot be cured. Its a very hard decision to make and I dont envy it for anyone.
I would chose a DNR if i and only if felt I had no other hope of a happy fullfilling life.

Answer 4

There are alot of conditions that are very miserable which can stretch on and on, but are terminal. Sometimes a person's life slips away while dealing with those but our technology is able to bring them back to life if they have not yet slipped too far away.
One example is advanced cancer. If you were suffering from a very painful cancer would you want to be recussitated so you could suffer longer with it while your family watched and suffered with you? I had an aunt with cancer who was on her deathbed- and there is a point where a doctor will not increase your pain meds because even though you are terminal, to increase the medication is lethal. It almost makes no sense, only it does. If he administers enough to kill you right away, then he is considered guilty of murder or at least euthenasia-something that most of us do not agree with doing (euthanising people-killing them to put them out of their misery and suffering). So what happens when you recussitate that person? They suffer longer-in my aunt's case, it was for 3 more weeks. That too may seem senseless but what if some miraculous cure had been found during those 3 weeks? There is all of the dilema. Ofcourse you must not forget either that there is a very high cost for hospitals and medical care too. If someone is suffering and by all we know at the time, they are not going to survive, then we prolong their pain as well as the bill for the family. The dying person is worrying about that too. There is alot to consider, I will spare you all the pros and cons, but that is one reason not to recussitate-because it would not really help. Another reason is the religious factor. Some people believe that when God calls a person to cross over into that other world, that it is their time and what they were supposed to do has been accomplished or that they cannot accomplish it in full and now it is someone else's turn to finish the work...but the person who is dying: is being called away by God so no man should interfere. There are pros and cons to that way of believing and people who do not believe that, so I won't address whether or not it is right or wrong or seems to me to be right or wrong. It is simply one of the reasons some people have. Another common one is the quality of life versus the quantity of it. For example, if you had to suffer from bedsores but were quadraplegic (no use of any limbs), or if you were in an irreversible coma would be another example-in that case a vegetable being sustained by tubes and machines only-something caused your body to go into shock so that you died, or you simply were a vegetable-would you want to continue living like that or have the machines turned off? Many say there is nothing when you are unconscious like that, that you can enjoy so you have only a quantity of life, no quality life. In the case of someone paralyzed or partially so, if they are suffering from bed sores (called decubitis ulcers and those are on the skin) or other illnesses and injuries that cannot be repaired and their suffering is great, they also may choose not to be resusitated if they suffer a stroke or are a passenger in a terrible car accident etc simply because they would prefer to move on instead of suffer. There are also those people who do not appreciate their life or have had very emotionally and/or physically wounded ones and they do not want to continue in them. The reasons for not recussitating are probably as varied as there are individuals, but I have given you the main ones. As to whether or not people die or not if they are not recussitated-not all do, some recover, some recover for a short time. The reason someone who does not want their life intervened in have that put on their medical charts is so that when doctors and nurses are treating them they know if something happens whether or not that person wants them to try everything in their power or to just let go and let God take over. To be fair, for those who do not believe in a supreme power, that would mean they make their wishes known that if they cannot on their own overcome the problem, they do not want someone else intervening. I hope that answered your question sufficiently.

Answer 5

"Do Not Resuscitate" (DNR) is usually added to medical charts for people who are very aged, people who have a "terminal" illness (meaning, there is no cure for whatever disease they have, and they will die from this soon), or people who have multiple health issues and have a very poor quality of life. It is usually asked of you when you are having surgical procedures done in the hospital or when you are admitted to the hospital for a serious illness: sometimes referred to as "advance directives"...they'll sometimes ask you about a will/living will, power of attorney, etc...it has become a very routine practice.

Answer 6

DNR is for people who wish not to be resuscitated. maybe they have a chronic disease that they have been fighting for awhile and they feel like what happens for a reasion. that is when god wanted for them. often people are resusitated and they are in acomma state for a long time and have no quality of life. i know a waman who was and has been in a coma for 14 yrs she knawed of her lips and is contracted into the fetial position. she doesn't know her own mother. this is because while they did bring her back they did it to long after she had been w/out o2 and she is brain dead.
amber LPN

Answer 7

The only thing I could think of is that it is family wishes that they not be resuscitated. Sounds a bit cruel, I know.

Answer 8

I dont think resuscitating always helps them live. i mean it might buy them some time, but a lot of times the quality of their lives being constantly sick isnt worth the struggle and they want to leave it in the hands of god.

Answer 9

some patients from their advanced directive request that they do not want to be kept alive mechanically either due to religious beliefs or their health being at the state it is. they have probably been sick for so long and dont want to put the family through any more hardship. people have lots of reasons, but it is mostly due to their request on their records. you will find most of the pts are cancer pts or aids pts

Answer 10

some people would rather not live and go on with agony that's why DNR is in effect. Even though you love them very much that is there wishes and you need to adhere to that. DNR is a personal desicion and if they're in pain than why?