Ambulances In LA Are Now More Selective, No Longer Transporting Patients With Low Life Expectancy

Photo illustration (Brendan McDermid / Antara)

JAKARTA - The new medical policy was implemented in Los Angeles, United States. As local hospitals overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, the Los Angeles Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency issued a directive that ambulances were no longer intended for patients with little life expectancy.

These patients are those whose heartbeat and breathing have stopped and who are unable to be helped by paramedics. The directive was written in a memo signed by Marianne Gausche-Hill, EMS Medical Director.

Due to the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on EMS and 9-1-1 Receiving Hospitals, adult patients who experience traumatic and nontraumatic cardiac arrest outside of hospital should not be transferred if spontaneous restoration of circulation fails in the field.

According to the memo, a patient must be treated first at the scene. In addition the patient must demonstrate the presence of a pulse during resuscitation before being admitted to hospital. This means that if a patient's pulse does not return or is pronounced dead, the EMS staff should not take them to the hospital.

Other documents posted show that local health authorities also issued a directive on Monday, January 4, asking ambulance crews to provide less oxygen given the limited supplies caused by the pandemic.

Gausche-Hill, quoted by CBS, said that this memo does not mean EMS crews will not continue to do all they can to save the lives of patients at the scene and in the hospital.

"We are not neglecting resuscitation," emphasized Gausche-Hill. "What we're asking is - which is a little different from before - that we emphasize the fact that taking these cardiac arrest patients is causing very bad results. We already know that and we just don't want to bring our hospital down."