§ 44-78-35 — Liability of health care provider or EMS personnel regarding "do not resuscitate order".

No health care provider or EMS personnel is liable for damages, may be the subject of disciplinary proceedings, or may be subject to civil or criminal liability due to: (1) issuing a "do not resuscitate order for emergency medical services" or a "do not resuscitate bracelet"; (2) good faith reliance on a "do not resuscitate order for emergency medical services" or a "do not resuscitate bracelet" resulting in: (a) the withholding of resuscitative treatment; or (b) the withholding of resuscitative treatment already in progress once a duly executed "do not resuscitate order for emergency medical services" is identified; (3) initiating resuscitative treatment on a "do not resuscitate patient" if EMS personnel were unaware of the existence of the order or bracelet or if EMS personnel reasonably and in good faith believed the "do not resuscitate order" had been canceled or revoked or, where applicable, if the do not resuscitate bracelet has been tampered with or removed; or (4) initiating resuscitative treatment on a "do not resuscitate patient" where in the best medical judgment of EMS personnel, the care was necessary to relieve pain or suffering or to provide comfort care to the patient.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 1994 Act No. 485, SECTION 2; 2016 Act No. 233 (H.4773), SECTION 6, eff June 3, 2016.