Are do not resuscitate and do not intubate the same thing?

Answer 1

This is a great question. Unless the form specifically allows for "partial DNR" then a full DNR includes DNI when the patient has cardiac or respiratory arrest. The question is more complicated when the patient is not a cardiac or respiratory arrest and the doctor wants to intubate. Then the question is really why isn't that doctor getting prior consent. A DNI presumes the right to act without consent (like CPR) In every other invasive treatment or procedure, informed consent is required beforehand so should it be with intubation (unless the patient is in cardiac/respiratory arrest). Doctors seem to use the "emergency exception" to the informed consent rule for emergency intubation (if we don't intubate the patient will go into respiratory arrest) But that may be inconsistent with the patients real spirit of the patient's DNR so in those circumstances, I think the doctor should really be getting the patient's next of kin (or medical POA) to consent or refuse consent (consistent with the DNR).