Do not resuscitate does not mean do not treat: how palliative care and other modalities can help facilitate communication about goals of care in advanced illness.

A do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order is commonly used for hospitalized patients with advanced illness. It reflects only the desires of a patient once he or she suffers a full cardiopulmonary arrest. It does not reflect preferences about other forms of life-sustaining treatments. This article reviews the definition of a DNR order, describes the evidence suggesting that physicians use a DNR order in making determinations about other life-sustaining treatments, and will provide tools such as the use of palliative care consultations and combined directives in discussing overall goals of care.