Texas Do Not Resucitate (OOH-DNR)
Texas Do Not Resucitate (OOH-DNR)
This document becomes effective immediately on the date of execution for health care professionals acting in out-of-hospital settings. It remains in effect until the person is pronounced dead by authorized medical or legal authority or the document is revoked. Comfort care will be given as needed. This form is valid only for the State of Texas.
Text Version of this Form
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Figure: 25 TAC §157.25 (h)(2) OUT-OF-HOSPITAL DO-NOT-RESUSCITATE (OOH-DNR) ORDER
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES
This document becomes effective immediately on the date of execution for health care professionals acting in out-of-hospital settings. It remains in effect until
the person is pronounced dead by authorized medical or legal authority or the document is revoked. Comfort care will be given as needed.Male
Person’s full legal name Date of birth
FemaleA. Declaration of the adult person: I am competent and at least 18 years of age. I direct that none of the following resuscitation measures be initiated or continued for me:
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), transcutaneous cardiac pacing, defibrillation, advanced airway management, artificial ventilation.Person’s signature Date Printed name
B. Declaration by legal guardian, agent or proxy on behalf of the adult person who is incompetent or otherwise incapable of communication:
I am the: legal guardian; agent in a Medical Power of Attorney; OR proxy in a directive to physicians of the above-noted person who is incompetent or otherwise
mentally or physically incapable of communication.
Based upon the known desires of the person, or a determination of the best interest of the person, I direct that none of the following resuscitation measures be initiated or continued for the
person: cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), transcutaneous cardiac pacing, defibrillation, advanced airway management, artificial ventilation.Date Printed name
SignatureC. Declaration by a qualified relative of the adult person who is incompetent or otherwise incapable of communication: I am the above-noted person’s:
spouse, adult child, parent, OR nearest living relative, and I am qualified to make this treatment decision under Health and Safety Code §166.088.
To my knowledge the adult person is incompetent or otherwise mentally or physically incapable of communication and is without a legal guardian, agent or proxy. Based upon the known desires of
the person or a determination of the best interests of the person, I direct that none of the following resuscitation measures be initiated or continued for the person: cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR), transcutaneous cardiac pacing, defibrillation, advanced airway management, artificial ventilation.
Date Printed name
SignatureD. Declaration by physician based on directive to physicians by a person now incompetent or nonwritten communication to the physician by a competent person: I am the above-noted
person’s attending physician and have:seen evidence of his/her previously issued directive to physicians by the adult, now incompetent; OR observed his/her issuance before two witnesses of an OOH-DNR in a nonwritten manner.
I direct that none of the following resuscitation measures be initiated or continued for the person: cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), transcutaneous cardiac pacing, defibrillation,
advanced airway management, artificial ventilation.
Attending physician’s Printed
Date Lic#
signature nameE. Declaration on behalf of the minor person: I am the minor’s: parent; legal guardian; OR managing conservator.
A physician has diagnosed the minor as suffering from a terminal or irreversible condition. I direct that none of the following resuscitation measures be initiated or continued for the person:
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), transcutaneous cardiac pacing, defibrillation, advanced airway management, artificial ventilation.Date
SignaturePrinted name
TWO WITNESSES: (See qualifications on backside.) We have witnessed the above-noted competent adult person or authorized declarant making his/her signature above and, if applicable, the
above-noted adult person making an OOH-DNR by nonwritten communication to the attending physician.Witness 1 signature Date Printed name
Witness 2 signature Date Printed name
Notary in the State of Texas and County of___________________. The above noted person personally appeared before me and signed the above noted declaration on this date:______________.
Signature & seal: _______________________________________________ Notary’s printed name:_______________________________________________ Notary Seal
[ Note: Notary cannot acknowledge the witnessing of the person making an OOH-DNR order in a nonwritten manner ]
PHYSICIAN’S STATEMENT: I am the attending physician of the above-noted person and have noted the existence of this order in the person’s medical records. I direct health care professionals
acting in out-of-hospital settings, including a hospital emergency department, not to initiate or continue for the person: cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), transcutaneous cardiac
pacing, defibrillation, advanced airway management, artificial ventilation.
Date
Physician’s signature
License #
Printed nameF. Directive by two physicians on behalf of the adult, who is incompetent or unable to communicate and without guardian, agent, proxy or relative: The person’s specific wishes are unknown, but resuscitation measures
are, in reasonable medical judgment, considered ineffective or are otherwise not in the best interests of the person. I direct health care professionals acting in out-of-hospital settings, including a hospital emergency
department, not to initiate or continue for the person: cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), transcutaneous cardiac pacing, defibrillation, advanced airway management, artificial ventilation.Printed
Attending physician’s signature Date name Lic#Printed
Signature of second physician Date name Lic#Physician’s electronic or digital signature must meet criteria listed in Health and Safety Code §166.082(c).
All persons who have signed above must sign below, acknowledging that this document has been properly completed.
Person’s signature Guardian/Agent/Proxy/Relative signature
Attending physician’s Second physician’s signature
signatureWitness 1 signature Witness 2 signature Notary’s
signatureThis document or a copy thereof must accompany the person during his/her medical transport.
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR ISSUING AN OOH-DNR ORDER
PURPOSE: The Out-of-Hospital Do-Not-Resuscitate (OOH-DNR) Order on reverse side complies with Health and Safety Code (HSC), Chapter 166 for use by
qualified persons or their authorized representatives to direct health care professionals to forgo resuscitation attempts and to permit the person to have a natural death
with peace and dignity. This Order does NOT affect the provision of other emergency care, including comfort care.
APPLICABILITY: This OOH-DNR Order applies to health care professionals in out-of-hospital settings, including physicians’ offices, hospital clinics and
emergency departments.
IMPLEMENTATION: A competent adult person, at least 18 years of age, or the person’s authorized representative or qualified relative may execute or issue an
OOH-DNR Order. The person’s attending physician will document existence of the Order in the person’s permanent medical record. The OOH-DNR Order may be
executed as follows:
Section A – If an adult person is competent and at least 18 years of age, he/she will sign and date the Order in Section A.
Section B – If an adult person is incompetent or otherwise mentally or physically incapable of communication and has either a legal guardian, agent in a medical
power of attorney, or proxy in a directive to physicians, the guardian, agent, or proxy may execute the OOH-DNR Order by signing and dating it in Section B.
Section C – If the adult person is incompetent or otherwise mentally or physically incapable of communication and does not have a guardian, agent, or proxy, then a
qualified relative may execute the OOH-DNR Order by signing and dating it in Section C.
Section D – If the person is incompetent and his/her attending physician has seen evidence of the person’s previously issued proper directive to physicians or observed
the person competently issue an OOH-DNR Order in a nonwritten manner, the physician may execute the Order on behalf of the person by signing and dating it in
Section D.
Section E – If the person is a minor (less than 18 years of age), who has been diagnosed by a physician as suffering from a terminal or irreversible condition,
then the minor’s parents, legal guardian, or managing conservator may execute the OOH-DNR Order by signing and dating it in Section E.
Section F – If an adult person is incompetent or otherwise mentally or physically incapable of communication and does not have a guardian, agent, proxy, or available
qualified relative to act on his/her behalf, then the attending physician may execute the OOH-DNR Order by signing and dating it in Section F with concurrence of a
second physician (signing it in Section F) who is not involved in the treatment of the person or who is not a representative of the ethics or medical committee of the
health care facility in which the person is a patient.
In addition, the OOH-DNR Order must be signed and dated by two competent adult witnesses, who have witnessed either the competent adult person making his/her
signature in section A, or authorized declarant making his/her signature in either sections B, C, or E, and if applicable, have witnessed a competent adult person
making an OOH-DNR Order by nonwritten communication to the attending physician, who must sign in Section D and also the physician’s statement section.
Optionally, a competent adult person or authorized declarant may sign the OOH-DNR Order in the presence of a notary public. However, a notary cannot
acknowledge witnessing the issuance of an OOH-DNR in a nonwritten manner, which must be observed and only can be acknowledged by two qualified witnesses.
Witness or notary signatures are not required when two physicians execute the OOH-DNR Order in section F. The original or a copy of a fully and properly completed
OOH-DNR Order or the presence of an OOH-DNR device on a person is sufficient evidence of the existence of the original OOH-DNR Order and either one shall be
honored by responding health care professionals.
REVOCATION: An OOH-DNR Order may be revoked at ANY time by the person, person’s authorized representative, or physician who executed the order.
Revocation can be by verbal communication to responding health care professionals, destruction of the OOH-DNR Order, or removal of all OOH-DNR identification
devices from the person.
AUTOMATIC REVOCATION: An OOH-DNR Order is automatically revoked for a person known to be pregnant or in the case of unnatural or suspicious
circumstances.DEFINITIONS
Attending Physician: A physician, selected by or assigned to a person, with primary responsibility for the person’s treatment and care and is licensed by the Texas
Medical Board, or is properly credentialed and holds a commission in the uniformed services of the United States and is serving on active duty in this state. [HSC
§166.002(12)].
Health Care Professional: Means physicians, nurses, physician assistants and emergency medical services personnel, and, unless the context requires otherwise,
includes hospital emergency department personnel. [HSC §166.081(5)]
Qualified Relative: A person meeting requirements of HSC §166.088. It states that an adult relative may execute an OOH-DNR Order on behalf of an adult person
who has not executed or issued an OOH-DNR Order and is incompetent or otherwise mentally or physically incapable of communication and is without a legal
guardian, agent in a medical power of attorney, or proxy in a directive to physicians, and the relative is available from one of the categories in the following priority:
1) person’s spouse; 2) person’s reasonably available adult children; 3) the person’s parents; or, 4) the person’s nearest living relative. Such qualified relative may
execute an OOH-DNR Order on such described person’s behalf.
Qualified Witnesses: Both witnesses must be competent adults, who have witnessed the competent adult person making his/her signature in section A, or person’s
authorized representatives making his/her signature in either Sections B, C, or E on the OOH-DNR Order, or if applicable, have witnessed the competent adult person
making an OOH-DNR by nonwritten communication to the attending physician, who signs in Section D. Optionally, a competent adult person, guardian, agent,
proxy, or qualified relative may sign the OOH-DNR Order in the presence of a notary instead of two qualified witnesses. Witness or notary signatures are not required
when two physicians execute the order by signing Section F. One of the witnesses must meet the qualifications in HSC §166.003(2), which requires that at least one
of the witnesses not: (1) be designated by the person to make a treatment decision; (2) be related to the person by blood or marriage; (3) be entitled to any part of
the person’s estate after the person’s death either under a will or by law; (4) have a claim at the time of the issuance of the OOH-DNR against any part of the person’s
estate after the person’s death; or, (5) be the attending physician; (6) be an employee of the attending physician or (7) an employee of a health care facility in which
the person is a patient if the employee is providing direct patient care to the patient or is an officer, director, partner, or business office employee of the health care
facility or any parent organization of the health care facility.
Report problems with this form to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) or order OOH-DNR Order/forms or identification devices at (512)
834-6700.Declarant’s, Witness’, Notary’s, or Physician’s electronic or digital signature must meet criteria outlined in HSC §166.011
Publications No. EF01-11421 – Revised July 1, 2009 by the Texas Department of State Health Services Page 2 of 2