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Emergency medical services - 20 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5487

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     § 5487.  Emergency medical services.
        (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.

Last modified: November 27, 2007