Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. A clinical decision, made in advance, that CPR should not be attempted if a person’s heart stops. A DNACPR order is not a withdrawal of all treatment — it applies only to CPR. It is usually made when CPR is considered unlikely to be successful, or when the burdens of attempted resuscitation outweigh the potential benefits, given the person’s overall condition. The decision should ideally be made in discussion with the patient and, where appropriate, their family or carers. A DNACPR order can be changed at any time and does not prevent other forms of treatment or comfort care. For ICD patients, a DNACPR decision also raises the question of device deactivation — particularly deactivating shock therapy — which should be discussed with the clinical team.
« Back to Glossary IndexDo Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation [DNACPR]
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