How 'Do Not Resuscitate' Is Open To Interpretation In Some Hospitals

Published August 17, 2018 at 1:52 PM EDT

In a hospital, Do Not Resuscitate means staff aren’t supposed to give CPR if a patient’s breathing or heart stops. It’s an order doctors put into a patient’s chart at the request of the patient.

But these DNR orders can result in unintended consequences — like the withholding of treatment before death. As Lisa Gillespie (@LVGillespie) from WFPL in Louisville reports, the misunderstanding is common in hospitals, both in Kentucky and around the country.

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