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 Fire Department > Do Not Resuscitate |
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There are
circumstances due to serious or terminal illness where you may not want CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) or other
forms of resuscitation, if they would only prolong your death and perhaps your pain.
In such cases, your
doctor may write a "DNR" order in your medical record. This "do-not-resuscitate" order authorizes other health care
providers to withhold measures to restart your heart or breathing.
Illinois has
a "pre-hospital" DNR program that can make your wishes known to emergency responders and others outside the hospital setting.
This program is primarily designed to help people in the final stages of a terminal illness or who are suffering from a
serious condition and are certain they do not want to receive emergency treatment.
Pre-hospital DNR Program
Paramedics and
other emergency responders working outside the hospital generally have a duty to provide CPR and other forms of
resuscitation when needed. But some people may not want to be revived. Over half of the states now have "pre-hospital"
DNR (do-not-resuscitate) programs providing a doctor's DNR order to be honored outside of the hospital setting.
Illinois' DNR program is administered by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Getting More Information
If you are
considering a DNR Order your first step toward this decision is to talk to your physician and family. Your physician
can explain what will happen if you decide to forego resuscitation and whether it is medically appropriate for you to
do so.
If you need
more information after talking with your physician, here are some other possible sources of helpful information:
- Local hospice or similar organization
- State or local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) offices
- Other professionals (such as nurses, social workers, counselors, and chaplains)
For additional information regarding DNR decisions, you may also search the Internet using the
search term "do not resuscitate".
> DNR Form Requirements
> Illinois Dept. of Public Health DNR form in Adobe Acrobat format
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