Prehospital and disaster medicine
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Oct 1993
Prehospital do-not-resuscitate orders: a survey of state policies in the United States.
Many states in the United States have developed policies that enable prehospital emergency medical services (EMS) providers to withhold cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the terminally ill. Several states also have policies that enable the implementation of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders. ⋯ There exists great variation in legal authorization by states for implementation of DNR orders in the prehospital setting. Despite the existence of enabling legislation, many state, regional, or local EMS systems have implemented policies dealing with DNR orders.
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Oct 1993
Mouth-to-mouth ventilation of cardiac arrested humans using a barrier mask.
Concern for possible disease transmission during mouth-to-mouth resuscitation has decreased the incidence of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Barrier masks have become available that may be effective in CPR as well as protective against cross-contamination. ⋯ The barrier mask studied appears to be an effective aid to ventilation in CPR. Patients without facial support, as in edentulous patients with mandibular atrophy, are not ventilated well with this device.