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Health Care Directives-Part 2

Sarah Savasky
December 11, 2014

In my last post I discussed three different types of health care directives and promised you two more this week. Here they are:

Physicians Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) is a document that gives seriously ill patients more control over their end of life care, including medical treatment, extraordinary measures and CPR, A POLST is printed on bright pink paper and unlike an AHCD and a Living Will, a POLST is signed by both the patient and their doctor.

A DNR order is a document which, when completed correctly, allows a patient with a life threatening illness to forgo specific resuscitative measures that may keep them alive. These measures include: Chest compressions, assisted ventilation, intubation, defibrillation and cardiotonic drugs (drugs that stimulate the heart). A DNR order does not affect the provision of other emergency medical care.