An 81-year-old female in cardiac arrest has a family member who started CPR while others argue that she has a DNR. What should you do?

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Multiple Choice

An 81-year-old female in cardiac arrest has a family member who started CPR while others argue that she has a DNR. What should you do?

When a patient may have a do-not-resuscitate order, the priority is to preserve life while quickly confirming the patient’s wishes with verifiable documentation. You should continue CPR immediately and ask the family for proof of the DNR (such as a physician’s order, a POLST form, medical alert bracelet, or other written directive) to determine if resuscitation should be halted. A DNR cannot be honored based on a verbal claim alone, so verification is essential before stopping life-saving efforts. If verified evidence of a DNR is found, you follow it; if not, you continue CPR.

When a patient may have a do-not-resuscitate order, the priority is to preserve life while quickly confirming the patient’s wishes with verifiable documentation. You should continue CPR immediately and ask the family for proof of the DNR (such as a physician’s order, a POLST form, medical alert bracelet, or other written directive) to determine if resuscitation should be halted. A DNR cannot be honored based on a verbal claim alone, so verification is essential before stopping life-saving efforts. If verified evidence of a DNR is found, you follow it; if not, you continue CPR.

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