Do not attempt resuscitation orders are a way for patients to indicate the care that they would like to receive in the event of a life-threatening cardiac event. Other terms for documents with similar purposes include do not resuscitate orders (DNR) and allow natural death orders (AND).
The goal is avoiding interventions that are unwelcome or traumatic for the patient or are unlikely to be effective. The intention is to support patient self-determination and facilitate a “good death”.
There is often a concern that if such an order is in place this will result in a patient receiving a reduced level of care, and so discussions around DNAR orders do need to be approached with particular attention to transparency.