An acronym for ‘do not resuscitate’ – advice sometimes written on a patient’s hospital notes to indicate that if he or she suffers, say, a life-threatening complication (such as a CARDIAC ARREST) to an existing serious illness, the patient should not be given emergency lifesaving treatment. The use of DNR is an emotive and controversial issue, even if the patient (or the relatives), when a serious illness such as spreading cancer is concerned, may have indicated a wish not to be resuscitated in the event of organ failures. (See ETHICS.)
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