Does having a DNR include do not call 911?
 

I recently heard about a person who has a DNR and they also do not want 911 to be called.

Right or wrong I associate DNR to mean NOT prolonging life via various life support mechanisms.

That is not how I view calling 911.

While I do honor ones wishes... I have a very different view of the need for 911.......saving VS prolonging.

Other opinions/experiences?

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I always assumed the DNR provided direction to emergency care workers (EMTs, emergency rooms, doctors, etc) and possibly neighborhood AED teams.

Today, I would call 911 and let the trained professionals make the appropriate medical decision. Today there is no DNR in place for anyone I know. I don't know what I might do if the DNR applied to someone I care about - I hope I never find myself in that position.

You will have a different view of life due to differing circumstances. My view is that I don’t impose my view onto someone else, so under that the scenario, I honor the other person’s wishes.

I don’t deny others’ religious beliefs being an atheist. And first principle of communication is seek to understand

Good luck with your struggle

DNR I thought meant unnecessary life saving measures when there is no hope of quality of life (I’m paraphrasing). We don’t know that until it’s medically evaluated, so call 911 ALWAYS!

I agree. Also, I would be concerned about possible liability by not calling 911. As I understand it, unless someone is receiving Hospice care, any death in a home needs to be investigated.

Where does this come from? A DNR is a specific legal & medical terminology/order, that's implemented (or takes effect) when you stop breathing or blood flow stops.

As noted in other responses, a DNR (do not resuscitate) is a legal/medical instruction for a healthcare provider. It is not meant to be guidance for an in-home, out shopping, pickleball playing, etc. emergency. Always dial 911.

I listened to a doctor being interviewed on NPR. He has DNR tattooed on his left chest. He said only 8% (9.%1 per American Heart Association) of people who receive out-of-hospital CPR survive. Of those 8 people 4 will require life-long care due to serious disability, 4 will return to their previous lives with some form of disability, and 2 (2%) will return to their lives and function at the same level as they did prior to CPR. A google search will show survival figures as high as 45% which is why I used The American Heart Association.

Unfortunately a DNR tattoo will be disregarded by EMTs because it isn't a bona fide legal document- i.e. signature, witness signature, etc., and EMTs are fearful that honoring this tattoo would subject them to legal trouble.

One of those 2% will be joining me on a cruise in May. I'm glad the statistics didn't get in the way of that.

Cool. I also know someone who recovered after CPR. However, if the statistic is to be believed your chances of returning to life / a quality life are remote. I would opt for DNR- but that just happens to be my choice.

I would always call 911- so if a person simply slipped in the bathroom and knocked themselves unconscious, you should not call 911, if that is in their DNR?

You having difficulty with the very clear difference between not performing CPR when a person has no heartbeat and/or no respirations versus not getting help for someone who is breathing, has a heartbeat and is simply unconscious? A DNR has absolutely no application to the situation you wrote about.

The DNR form in Florida comes in both a large size usually kept on the refrigerator and a wallet size obviously kept in a wallet. Interestingly CPR training does not instruct either a paramedic or a bystander to check the wallet for the presence of a DNR form at any point, thus having on your person a DNR form will not prevent people from doing CPR. That is why the doctor mentioned above added a tattoo.

Hospice = no call 911
or wait till the next month when the Social Security check auto deposits / possibly stretching it until the next Quarter for dividend check to hit!

Not all 911 calls are life saving calls. One example: a fall with a broken hip. Hu

DNR and 911
 

I believe the law applies in Fla the same as NY. If EMT responds to a scene they are required to initiate lifesaving measures. If they are responding to a persons home and that person is unresponsive (ie, not breathing &no heartbeat) they are again required to initiate lifesaving measures unless that person has an “in home” DNR form. This is a specific form for use in the home. No other DNR form is accepted

Former Paramedic here—DNR means Do Not Resuscitate, i.e. no CPR, defibrillator etc. Best to call 911 and let the professionals handle it as laws vary from state to state.

“Where I’m from,” EMTs are bound by law to perform CPR if summoned, regardless of whether the victim has a DNR.

That fits in with the research I’ve read. 8 percent. Eight people out of 100. The numbers get confusing because there are various things being counted, such as these:
Percentage of stopped hearts restarted on the scene (this will be the highest percentage).
Percentage of stopped hearts restarted and still beating when the people reach the hospital (somewhat lower).
Percentage of stopped hearts restarted with the people still alive when they exit the hospital and go to rehab or a long-term care facility, whether or not the people have permanent mental or physical damage or are likely to ever go home alive. (Welcome to high medical costs.)
Percentage of stopped hearts where the people go home from the hospital and return to golfing, dining out, going on cruises, etc. (A much lower percentage.)
Percentage of strapped hearts restarted where the people are home and in good health three years later. (This tends to be the eight in a hundred one.)

Funny story, I was tooling around the USA when I lived in my Airstream. I was in Minnesota, I think, and saw a big sign on a building that said... DNR. My brain thought... wow, that take Do Not Resuscitate seriously here. <g>

Dnr
 

I know you’re asking about calling 911 but please note, 911 will not honor a DNR unless it’s on yellow paper. So if you have one make sure it’s on yellow paper and attach it to your refrigerator for easy access.

Minnesota DNR (Department of Natural Resources) also know as Game Wardens.
I cannot confirm whether or not they would've performed CPR on you, but you could've bought a fishing license!!!! :jester:

Where is that place "where you are from"? I know from your signature you are from the South

It varies depending on circumstances. My husband's doctor told us that if someone has a DNR they can put it on their refrigerator, the EMT's will look there and follow the instructions.

DNR What you need to know about end of life care
 

I have been a hospice nurse for 34 years (now a volunteer). I have cared for 100's of dying people and here is what I have learned: There is a serious problem in end of life care that needs to be fixed. Misconceptions, misinformation and ignorance are causing unnecessary suffering, both physically and emotionally.
I give presentations in The Villages to church groups, book clubs, neighborhoods, and clubs looking for a speaker. I do not charge a fee. Those attending will be educated and empowered to take control of crucial decisions that are often left to medical and bureaucratic systems that have little understanding of their real needs, It will bring assurance that the end of life does not have to be a physically painful, frightening , or isolated experience.It will give them hope that their end of life doesn't have to be a miserable, sometimes terror filled experience as so often happens when people aren't informed. Education is the key and the time to learn is now.
my website: Spirit Matters - About

EMTs by nature will perform life-saving technics including resuscitation automatically. When mom was on Hospice we were told specifically NOT to call 911 - but we also had the MOLST form posted on the bedroom door handle. Resuscitation can be extremely painful for certain individuals and often does not have a high success rate. A MOLST form is a home DNR in certain states. Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment - Wikipedia

Sadly you can have every legal form possible for DNR, but the family that is with the DNR patient, can hide it in their pocket, despite your wishes. Sometimes family just can’t let them go. My brother is one of those people, no matter what he is going to stick form in his pocket, and call 911. He just can’t let his parents die no matter what.

Life is precious
 

there's the rights of the living to be considered here. Can't imagine the guilt trip for the person who assisted someone's death by not calling 911

No. DNR just means that you refuse life saving measures such as intubation and artificial respiration. I was a medic for 6 years. If you are DNR and need to call 911, do so.

Yes and no. If the death is "an attended death" and a doctor is willing to sign off on the death certificate, then no police or 911 involvement needed. Also in many cases where the death is "unattended" and the person was in bad health and a doctor is willing to sign off on the death certificate,
then no need for police or 911. Especially in cases where the person is in hospice care.
After the hospice nurse comes to confirm death, all you need to do is call the funeral home to come pick up the decedent.
Been there, done that many times. Good luck with it.

I worked in 911/dispatch in New York for 31 years and can confidently say that you are correct… Calling 911 has nothing to do with a DNR.

You can tell the 911 operator that there is a DNR in place…