I’ve written on this topic a few times here before. Below find what I considered the most cogent points I made in 3 previous threads on the issue. Take what you can use. And note that it’s just the most cogent stuff I wrote, not that it’s all that cogent.
Best check your state law (in the US). In many states, one must be a ‘qualified’ patient for it to be legal for a physician to write a DNR order for you. ‘Qualified’ usually means that you have a disease process which is anticipated to be fatal within a relatively short time, such as a year, or that you suffer from a condition such that attempts to resuscitate you would be even more futile than average, or particularly cruel, or would just prolong you in a very painful state.
QtM, author of many DNR orders.
My state (WI) defines “terminal condition” as an incurable condition caused by injury or illness that reasonable medical judgment finds would cause death imminently, so that the application of life-sustaining procedures serves only to postpone the moment of death.
From Chapter 154, Declarations to Physicians and do-not-resuscitate orders Wis. Stats. Database
The state seems to leave it up to my reasonable medical judgment as to what time frame imminently falls into. Thanks, state! I’ve lost some sleep over that one on a few occasions. But not on most of them, I will admit.
One needs to make sure that a DNR order is done right, and that all state laws are obeyed. If the proper regulations & processes are not observed, a DNR order will not be honored by many health professionals.
For example: In Wisconsin, a patient must be certified to be a qualified patient by two physicians, one of whom is the attending doctor. Among other things, a qualified patient is one who is expected to die within 6 months, or one who has a condition which would make attempts at resuscitation futile, or cruel.
Then, the patient (or the patient’s Medical Power of Attorney or Guardian if the patient is not competent) must sign.
And then the signature must be witnessed by two disinterested parties, who also sign the proper forms.
