NY issues do-not-resuscitate guideline for cardiac patients amid coronavirus nypost.com/2020/04/21/ny-… via @nypmetro
New York state just issued a drastic new guideline urging emergency-services workers not to bother trying to revive anyone without a pulse when they get to a scene, amid an overload of coronavirus patients.
Paramedics were previously told to spend up to 20 minutes trying to revive people found in cardiac arrest, the change is “necessary during the COVID-19 response to protect the health and safety of EMS providers...
... by limiting exposure, conserve resources, and ensure optimal use of equipment to save the greatest number of lives,’’ according to a state Health Department memo issued last week.
First-responders were outraged over the move.
First-responders were outraged over the move.
“They’re not giving people a second chance to live anymore,’’ Oren Barzilay, head of the city union whose members inclu de uniformed EMTs and paramedics, fumed of state officials.
“Our job is to bring patients back to life. This guideline takes that away from us,” he said.
“Our job is to bring patients back to life. This guideline takes that away from us,” he said.
The new state Health Department guideline wipes out the 20-minute effort.
“Now you don’t get 20 minutes of CPR if you have no rhythm,” a veteran FDNY Emergency Medical Services worker told The Post, referring to cardiac-arrest patients who have no heart beat when paramedics arrive at the scene. “They simply let you die.”
