I was just recently called from the hospital and they said they had chart notes that he had dnr and dni orders but not a dnri !?
By he, I mean husband, who is in a step down unit. They said there is no current emergency but wanted to check if I wanted to update those orders and would I consent to full status code?
I think I know what dnr and dni mean, but what is the difference from dnri and what is full staus code?
DNR- stands for DO NOT READ DNRI- Means DO NOT READ IMMEDIATELY FULL STATUS CODE- means We do not want you to know anything, so that is why we coded it....
DRN- do not resuscitate DNR- do not resuscitate or intubate Full status code- Perform all attempts to revive.
However, the best way to get clarification: Ask them not to Use codes....spell it out like this: DO NOT RESUSITATE DO NOT INTUBATE. DO EVERYTHING TO REVIVE... I hate codes, especially because they are so easily confused.....dnr, dnri, dni...easily confused,. and with what I have seen with doctor penmanship, it cannot be read by anyone except the National secutiry group NSA--- Hope this helps someone.....It is a decision best made before the actual need, because a crisis is no time to make such a serious decision.
Hopefully... you have a Livingwill a d Advanced Heath Care Directives. / designation of health care Surrogate etc made out Notarized and readily available. I take that folder to the hospital with each 911 call of which there have been two. Neither DW nor i want any heroics - DNR is checked for all possibilities. Keep in mind, w/o directions to the contrary, every ER will do everything they can to sustain life and once started it takes nearly an act of G-d to make them stop.
Hi Abby, health professionals always talked like alphabet soup. Do not be shy to question what they mean. While they understand each other, often lapse into this language forgetting that families have not a clue what they mean!!
As the technology to keep people alive got more complicated so did the definition of death. Was it when heart or breathing stops? Was it when brain ceases to function? As Marsh says early on all we had was DNR, do not resuscitate or full code status, do everything to keep patient alive. Rescue folks and ER staff are legally bound to "full code" a patient if there is no legal document to stop them. It is VERY important as your loved one progresses to have Advanced Health Care Directive outlining what you and your LO want in face of a critical event. If a LO is intubated in ER due to lack of AHCD or Living Will, a breathing tube put in for let's say pneumonia, and it is removed because the original condition improved, if something were to happen again you could have a DNRI order written to prevent the reintubation.
As a member of an ethics committee I would strongly recommend that these issues be discussed with LO, family and proper documentation be gotten. I believe strongly in knowing what the family wants and following their wishes.And Phranque you are so correct about handwriting! At our hospital there was a clearly typed form to be filled out which left no margin for error and had to be updated to ensure that decisions had not changed. Hope this helps.