(New York Times) – When her “do not resuscitate” order was ignored, Marie Cooper found herself in a painful situation she had hoped to avoid.

On its face, a D.N.R. order is a straightforward medical document, which states that if a patient’s heart stops (and, in some states, if breathing stops), medical staff should not perform CPR or the resuscitative measures that can accompany it, including ventilation, intubation, defibrillation (shocking the heart), or giving specific medications, like epinephrine, that can help restart the heart. Yet as Ms. Cooper found, confusion often surrounds D.N.R.s, which are interpreted differently across medical settings, leaving doctors unsure about what’s required of them and patients unsure whether their wishes will be upheld. (Read More)