Do Not Resuscitate Orders, ID Bracelets & Experiences

Posted by joko @joko, Mar 27, 2023

Do you have a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate Order) with your primary care physician? Do you wear a medical ID bracelets/necklace with DNR instructions? What experiences have you (or if you are a caregiver) had with Medical IDs, specifically with the DNR orders? Is there anything critically important that you should consider before you put this on your id and what has happened to people who wear it. (I mean do the EMTs follow instructions?) Appreciate insights.

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isadora2021 | @isadora2021 | Mar 11 2:47am

In reply to @kllevinson "over 10 years ago. I didnt pursue it." + (show)

@klevinson Your case is a very interesting one. You’ve lived 10 + years after a doctor ignored your DNR and resuscitated you. I’m sorry you’ve had so many issues since despite the 10 extra years. A classic case of quantity v quality and it wasn’t the doctors right to ignore your preference.

Have you discontinued your DNR and left it to the particular doctor for the future? Or have you continued with the DNR? It’s not too late to lodge a complaint knowing what you know.

Personally I want a doctor to follow my wishes and not gamble against my wishes 🤔

dcain01 | @dcain01 | Mar 11 9:35am

In reply to @isadora2021 "@kllevinson I wonder what the legality of that overriding individual doctor intervention is. It raises the..." + (show)

If the DNR does not stand during surgery, the doctor did not override it. He was following his Hipocratic Oath “First, Do no harm”. I’m sure this lady is glad to have had 10 more years with her family.

Miriam, Volunteer Mentor | @mir123 | Mar 11 10:13am

I'd just like to add in another thought here. For a personal with a terminal illness, hospice is a good protection against unwanted medical interventions. If you are no longer going to the ER or having tests and surgeries, the question is less pressing. Yes, I've heard stories about panicked calls from family to 911 for hospice patients, which opens up the need for a DNR prominently displayed. However, hospice should support the patient's wishes for no interventions, and it should work.

gravity3 | @gravity3 | Mar 11 11:12am

In reply to @dcain01 "If the DNR does not stand during surgery, the doctor did not override it. He was..." + (show)

Perhaps.

hellopam | @hellopam | Mar 11 3:36pm

I was told to keep a DNR on the refrigerator because EMTs are trained to look there. Mine basically says if I'm dead, DNR. Charming.

darienneadams | @darienneadams | Mar 11 6:01pm

That’s great information to have. Thanks for sharing it.

danny67 | @danny5 | Mar 11 6:15pm

In reply to @hellopam "I was told to keep a DNR on the refrigerator because EMTs are trained to look..." + (show)

@hellopam, that's better than mine. 2 inches across. a red line diagonally across it with just DNR in the middle. i've got to get a bigger one. i think i'll just make my own.

danny67 | @danny5 | Mar 11 6:22pm

In reply to @isadora2021 "@kllevinson I wonder what the legality of that overriding individual doctor intervention is. It raises the..." + (show)

@isadora2021, i don't know anymore. i keep reading here that they don't count while in surgery. i thought that was the whole point of having one. IDK anymore. we need to check this out more legally i believe. it'd be best to know for sure.

isadora2021 | @isadora2021 | Mar 11 7:06pm

In reply to @dcain01 "If the DNR does not stand during surgery, the doctor did not override it. He was..." + (show)

@dcain01. The doctor actually chose to DO something against an adult’s patient’s express wishes. That’s what interests me about DNR.

The patient says there are days when being alive is not worth it.

I do believe that many doctors place quantity ahead of quality against patient’s express wishes.

I have a great relationship with my oncologist treating me for stage 4 appendix cancer and he knows how important quality is to me over quantity.

He has no right to override my wishes and I trust him not to.

Becky, Volunteer Mentor | @becsbuddy | Mar 11 10:46pm

In reply to @becsbuddy "@kllevinson Just thought I’d let everyone know that a DNR order does not stand during surgery...." + (show)

I have since learned from further research that there is mixed opinion on DNR status during surgery. It seems that there are many factors involved. Best bet is to talk with your doctor. Talking with the surgeon pre-surgery is another matter.