Mostly Dead: EMS Garage Episode 46
filed in Podcast on Aug.11, 2009
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Well the podcast is not mostly dead (Princess Bride reference aside) but our topics are about death. This week we discuss a blog post on the Medic 999 Blog discussing a DNR Case, what would you have done? We also discuss EMS Official Comments on Mistaken Death Pronouncements, Iowa 911 receives 911 calls via text message, and Boise fire wants to help shorten paramedic response times to which Chris says “yeah right.”
This and more on the EMS Garage.
Featuring:
Chris Montera
Gary Wingrove
Kyle Bates
September 6th, 2009 on 10:38 am
Currently, I am listening to Mostly Dead: EMS Garage Episode 46; in regards to DNRs… The important thing to remember the DNR do not mean do not treat. The general consensus in this area is that if there is a doubt about the validity of a DNR or if there is any question in regards to honor the DNR, the patient is to be treated/resuscitated and allow the receiving physician to make the determination as to how to handle the DNR.
In regards to the living wills, in most places, living wills dictate to designated person what are the patient’s wishes but are not generally honored in the field. Whereas, DNRs are physicians orders made with the input of the patient and/or the patient’s family or designee. We just recently switched to allow not only the state EMS DNR form but to allow DNR documentation in a patient’s chart to be honored. Originally, EMS could only honor DNRs that were on the EMS DNR form.
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John-Luke R. Ord, EMT-P