Physician assistant (American Academy of Physician Assistants)
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The growth of organ transplantation has led to increased physician assistant involvement in the organ procurement process. Consent for organ donation must be obtained from the family of the brain-dead patient prior to discontinuation of life-support systems. ⋯ It requires a sound understanding of brain death, the mechanics of the procurement system, and the needs of the donor family. In this article, a specialist offers practical guidelines to PAs who wish to help these families make informed decisions about organ donation.
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Physician assistants who work in community medicine must be aware of the need for, and limitations of, prehospital emergency care systems. In rural communities, effective emergency cardiac care systems lag behind those of urban areas: establishing and maintaining a rural paramedic-level ambulance service is expensive, and continued competency must be shown in complex skills even when the volume of emergency calls is low. ⋯ Defibrillation programs require strong medical control and well-designed quality assurance mechanisms. Medical control is ultimately the responsibility of the physician-medical director, but in many small communities day-to-day tasks of medical control and quality assurance are assumed by PAs.