Do Not Resuscitate Orders

If you are terminally ill and do not want to be resuscitated, you may ask your physician to enter a DNR Order to be kept in your medical file. See Iowa Code chapter 144A. If you are terminally ill and are concerned about something happening to you related to your illness outside of the hospital, the physician can issue a DNR Order for use outside of the hospital stating that you are terminally ill and do not want to be revived if your heart or breathing stops. See Iowa Code section 144A.7A. If outside of the hospital, you should let others know of the DNR Order or wear something on your body, like a medical bracelet, that lets medical providers know that there is a DNR Order in place.

A DNR Order can only come from a physician and does not apply to emergency medical treatment not related to the person’s illness, like a car accident. Even with a DNR Order, a person can receive care that keeps them comfortable. A DNR Order can be revoked at at any time. The person or someone who they have named in the DNR Order to act for them needs to tell someone it is revoked. A family member cannot override a DNR Order.