§ 5487 — Emergency medical services

Pennsylvania § 5487

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

Text

(a) Medical command instructions.--Notwithstanding the absence of an order, bracelet or necklace pursuant to this section, emergency medical services providers shall at all times comply with the instructions of an authorized medical command physician to withhold or discontinue resuscitation.

(b) Effect of order, bracelet or necklace.--

(1) Emergency medical services providers are authorized to and shall comply with an order if made aware of the order by examining a bracelet, a necklace or the order itself.

(2) Emergency medical services providers shall provide other medical interventions necessary and appropriate to provide comfort and alleviate pain, including intravenous fluids, medications, oxygen and any other intervention appropriate to the level of the certification of the provider, unless otherwise directed by the patient or the emergency medical services provider's authorized medical command physician.

(3) As used in this subsection, the term "comply" means:

(i) to withhold cardiopulmonary resuscitation from the patient in the event of respiratory or cardiac arrest; or

(ii) to discontinue and cease cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the event the emergency medical services provider is presented with an order or discovers a necklace or bracelet after initiating cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

(c) Uncertainty regarding validity or applicability of order, bracelet or necklace.--

(1) Emergency medical services providers who in good faith are uncertain about the validity or applicability of an order, bracelet or necklace shall render care in accordance with their level of certification.

(2) Emergency medical services providers who act under paragraph (1) shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability or administrative sanction for failure to comply with an order under this section.

(d) Recognition of other states' orders.--Emergency medical services or out-of-hospital DNR orders, bracelets or necklaces valid in states other than this Commonwealth shall be recognized in this Commonwealth to the extent that these orders, bracelets or necklaces and the criteria for their issuance are consistent with the laws of this Commonwealth. Emergency medical services providers shall act in accordance with the provisions of this section when encountering a patient with an apparently valid EMS or out-of-hospital DNR form, bracelet or necklace issued by another state. Emergency medical services providers acting in good faith under this section shall be entitled to the same immunities and protections that would otherwise be applicable.