plural DNRs
: a medical order or a written representation of such an order indicating that a person should not be resuscitated if their breathing or heart stops
especially
: a legal document indicating that a person does not want to be resuscitated if their breathing or heart stops and that must be signed by an authorized health care professional (such as a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant)
The patient had signed a DNR.
Oftentimes, residents who choose DNRs are terminally ill or so frail that their body cannot handle the sometimes brutal side effects of CPR, like cracked ribs or torn organs. —
Hope Dean
compare advance directive, molst, polst
Hope Dean 1
department of natural resources
This year, the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) completed a 35-year ground survey to document rare species in every county.—Jennifer Bjorhus
Jennifer Bjorhus2
do not resuscitate
When patients, doctors, families, and nurses decide that a patient's condition is terminal and that heroic measures only prolong suffering, physicians generally write a do not resuscitate (DNR) order.—Suzanne Gordon
Suzanne GordonDictionary Entries Near DNR
Cite this Entry
“DNR.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/DNR. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
DNR
1 of 2 abbreviation
do not resuscitate
Do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders are designed to allow for withholding cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the event of cardiac arrest. DNR status is often linked to patients with severe illness, advanced age, poor disease prognosis, and deteriorating health status with impending death.—Albert Alhatem et al., Clinics in Dermatology
Albert Alhatem et al., Clinics in DermatologyDNR
2 of 2 noun
: a medical order or a written representation of such an order indicating that a person should not be resuscitated if their breathing or heart stops
especially
: a legal document indicating that a person does not want to be resuscitated if their breathing or heart stops and that must be signed by an authorized health-care professional (such as a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant)
Medically assisted suicide is legal only in select states, which also differs from passive assistance where a physician does nothing to prevent suicide. Passive assistance is often equivalent to honoring a DNR. —Kelvin Tren et al., The Cureus Journal of Medical Science
Kelvin Tren et al., The Cureus Journal of Medical Science If you already have a DNR and your doctor has it on file, your loved ones can't override it. If you don't yet have a DNR, you may name someone to speak for you, such as your healthcare proxy. —Cleveland Clinic
compare advance directive, molst, polst
Cleveland Clinic Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share