§ 5484 — Orders, bracelets and necklaces

Pennsylvania § 5484

• Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
• Title 20: DECEDENTS, ESTATES AND FIDUCIARIES
• Ch. 54: HEALTH CARE
• Subch.: OUT-OF-HOSPITAL NONRESUSCITATION

Text

(a) Issuance.--An attending physician, upon the request of a patient who is at least 18 years of age, has graduated from high school, has married or is an emancipated minor, or the patient's surrogate if the surrogate is so authorized, shall issue to the patient an order and may issue at the request of the patient or the patient's surrogate a bracelet or necklace supplied by the department. The patient may, at the patient's option, wear the bracelet or display the order or necklace to notify emergency medical services providers of the patient's DNR status.

(b) Format of order.--The department shall, with the advice of the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council and with the assistance of the regional emergency medical services councils, make available standard orders for issuance to patients by attending physicians of this Commonwealth. The form of the order shall contain, but not be limited to, the following:

PENNSYLVANIA OUT-OF-HOSPITAL

DO-NOT-RESUSCITATE ORDER

Patient's full legal name:

I, the undersigned, state that I am the attending physician of the patient named above. The above-named patient or the patient's surrogate has requested this order, and I have made the determination that the patient is eligible for an order and satisfies one of the following:

.......... has an end-stage medical condition.

.......... is permanently unconscious and has a living will directing that no cardiopulmonary resuscitation be provided to the patient in the event of the patient's cardiac or respiratory arrest.

I direct any and all emergency medical services personnel, commencing on the effective date of this order, to withhold cardiopulmonary resuscitation (cardiac compression, invasive airway techniques, artificial ventilation, defibrillation and other related procedures) from the patient in the event of the patient's respiratory or cardiac arrest. I further direct such personnel to provide to the patient other medical interventions, such as intravenous fluids, oxygen or other therapies necessary to provide comfort care or to alleviate pain, unless directed otherwise by the patient or the emergency medical services provider's authorized medical command physician.

Signature of attending physician:

Printed name of attending physician:

Dated:

Attending physician's emergency telephone number:

I, the undersigned, hereby direct that in the event of my cardiac and/or respiratory arrest efforts at cardiopulmonary resuscitation not be initiated and that they may be withdrawn if initiated. I understand that I may revoke these directions at any time by giving verbal instructions to the emergency medical services providers, by physical cancellation or destruction of this form or my bracelet or necklace or by simply not displaying this form or the bracelet or necklace for my EMS caregivers.

Signature of patient (if capable of making informed decisions):

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am authorized to execute this order on the patient's behalf by virtue of having been designated as the patient's surrogate and/or by virtue of my relationship to the patient (specify relationship: ..........). I hereby direct that in the event of the patient's cardiac and/or respiratory arrest efforts at cardiopulmonary resuscitation not be initiated and be withdrawn if initiated.

Signature of surrogate (if patient is incapable of making informed decisions):

(c) Format of bracelet.--The department shall, with the advice of the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council and with the assistance of the regional emergency medical services councils, make available standard bracelets for issuance to patients by attending physicians. The bracelets shall be uniform in design and shall, at a minimum, on the face clearly indicate OUT-OF-HOSPITAL DNR and the name of the patient and attending physician as well as the dated signature of the attending physician.

(d) Format of necklace.--The department shall, with the advice of the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council and with the assistance of the regional emergency medical services councils, make available standard necklaces for issuance to patients by attending physicians. The necklaces shall be uniform in design and shall, at a minimum, on the face clearly indicate OUT-OF-HOSPITAL DNR and the name of the patient and attending physician as well as the dated signature of the attending physician.

Legislative History

Cross References.Section 5484 is referred to in section 5445, 5483 of this title.