In our case, they sprang a surprise meeting on a Friday morning (which I later learned was absolutely unethical to do without warning, since the doctor merely said to come in and talk with him, and we were ambushed when we walked in and saw a room full of doctors). The 10 white coats voted in great exasperation to discontinue treatment since we weren't agreeing with them. So the 72 hours began exactly when it would be most difficult to even find anyone in their offices to talk. So while we were calling lawyers and hospitals around the country, the hospital called to say it's too late, since she just had a heart attack and died because of the DNR.
How did it come to the state that our hospitals are filled with hundreds of thousands of people (doctors, nurses, etc.) who have such hostility to those who come for treatment?
I think the pressure comes from the entity paying the bills (Medicare and Medicaid) plus the hospital not wanting to be stuck providing expensive treatment for a low reimbursement rate.
My personal experience was that my mom was energetically kept alive by the nursing home while she still had money in the bank. When she shifted to Medicaid, she died within three weeks.
Society encourages end of life directives. Some folks choose Full Code, and a healthcare proxy. Where do the docs get off slipping in an unwanted DNR?