THINKING OF MOVING TO LOS ANGELES

Rolling blackouts, closed beaches, closed restaurants, stay at home orders, hospitals overwhelmed with covid patients, and now this from usatoday.com 1/5/21

The Los Angeles Emergency Medical Services Agency issued two memos Monday instructing emergency responders to limit the use of supplemental oxygen and not transport patients who cannot be revived in the field.

"Given the acute need to conserve oxygen, effective immediately, EMS should only administer supplemental oxygen to patients with oxygen saturation below 90%," one memo said.Oxygen saturation at that threshold and above allows for sufficient blood flow in most patients, the memo said.

Adults experiencing cardiac arrest should not be transported to the hospital if they cannot be resuscitated in the field, according to the other memo. Patients whose hearts have stopped and, despite attempts to resuscitate, show no sign of breathing or movement, should be determined dead at the scene and should not be transported, the memo said.

I don’t see what’s wrong with that. You don’t need oxygen if your O2 saturation is higher than 90. If you’re dead, why transport you the hospital? Am I missing something?

No, U R not missing something......it's called TRIAGE. When U R in mass critical conditions U make
decisions based on outcomes...success of survival. IT is cost efficient,labor efficient and necessary.

Yes,

1. Supplemental oxygen is given to a patient increase a dangerously low oxygen saturation AND to try to insure that the saturation does not fall below an acceptable level.

2. The memo puts the EMT in a position where they have to make the decision as to life and death. In cases where the patient has bled out after being shot or hit by a Mack truck, not a problem, someone in the throes of a cardiac arrest it is much more nuanced.

I guess I come from a different perspective.....AGE of victim (can they recover more efficiently...of course taking into consideration drug usage)...I am in the minority....IF I need ICU,then let me go.....DNR necklace
DNI instructions....MOLST...NO ANTIBIOTICS, comfort care only.....I think the FIRST RESPONDERS R
in a tuff situation anyway. Have college friends (couple)who R my age and just now retiring from EMT....one
still teaches....

Patients whose hearts have stopped and, despite attempts to resuscitate, show no sign of breathing or movement, should be determined dead at the scene and should not be transported.

I would call that dead. EMT's shouldn't have to worry too much about that.

My sister who works for Evergreen Fire says they aren't allowed to drop off patients anymore at hospitals. You have to stay with them until emergency room personnel become available. This sometimes can take up to an hour or more lately.