All or nothing

I was reading various doc blogs tonight and was reminded of yet another thing I love about not being a nurse is the hospital anymore: the DNR with exceptions.

I had a patient once who's resuscitation status read:

If patient is in respiratory arrest, DNR. If patient is in cardiac arrest, chemical code only, no CPR, no intubation.

I do not understand why doctors won't explain exactly what DNR means. It is an all or nothing proposition.

Don't intubate-if the patient survives they will be severely brain damaged.

Chemical code only with no compressions-the drugs don't go to the heart where they can work.

Sorry, you are either a DNR or not. This is not the kind of treatment you can customize.