DNACPR
Medical abbreviation · Emergency Medicine
| Stands for | Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
DNACPR stands for Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation, an emergency medicine abbreviation.
UK term for a decision and form recording that CPR should not be attempted if the patient's heart stops. It is used across NHS hospitals, care homes and community settings.
Example: DNACPR form in place; ReSPECT plan focuses on comfort and staying at home.
Usage notes
In the UK, clinicians are expected to discuss DNACPR decisions with patients or families, a duty reinforced by a 2014 Court of Appeal ruling (the Tracey case). The ReSPECT process records broader emergency care preferences alongside CPR decisions. Scotland uses its own DNACPR policy and forms.
Related abbreviations
More emergency medicine abbreviations
- CCT – Critical care transport
- CMO – Comfort measures only
- CPR – Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- CPSS – Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale
- CTAS – Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale
- DCAP-BTLS – Deformities, contusions, abrasions, punctures/penetrations, burns…
- DNAR – Do not attempt resuscitation
- DNI – Do not intubate
- DNR – Do not resuscitate
- DOA – Dead on arrival
- DPL – Diagnostic peritoneal lavage
- eFAST – Extended focused assessment with sonography for trauma
See all 97 emergency medicine abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.