Would you accept O2 without qualification?

[cornfed]

There is a risk in the patient accepting O2 from a non certified person however, the risk to the person administring such O2 is much higher in the event of an accident caused by his actions. You would not be protected under the banner of the good samaritan laws.

First of all, what constitues a "certified person" to administer oxygen? Is the DAN O2 provider class the proper way to get certified?

Second, I think you could just as easily find yourself in trouble if you didn't offer them oxygen. Everyone learns about the benefits of O2 in their basic open water class. They don't learn how to administer it but they do learn that if you suspect DCS the individual should be placed on 100% O2 and that you should call DAN. I think you would be more likely to get sued for withholding oxygen. Personally, If I'm going to get sued I'd rather be able to say "I did everything I could" instead of "I knew it might help but I never got around to taking the class."

 

[Wildcard]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ShakaZulu
There is a risk in the patient accepting O2 from a non certified person however, the risk to the person administring such O2 is much higher in the event of an accident caused by his actions. You would not be protected under the banner of the good samaritan laws.


Acting as a reasonable and prudent person would, you would be covered.

 

[H2Andy]

the good samaritan laws are really designed to allow medical practicioners to help when they are not working without fear of a professional malpractice suit (covered by their insurance)

they are fat targets because of all that insurance money

your averga joe such as you and me doesn't have to worry too much about a civil suit for negligence, beacuse we are not "deep pockets."

 

[Wildcard]

They came into play when CPR became a popular thing for lay people to do. This was to encourage people to give it a try without fear of lawsuits. Medical Practicioners are also coverd "off duty" to some extent but not totaly.

 

[H2Andy]

the real impetus was from doctors, nurses, and EMT's stopping to help and getting sued. check out Florida's version, and watch the key words.

it's all about medical personnel:

http://www.cprinstructor.com/FL-GS.htm


1) This act shall be known and cited as the "Good Samaritan Act."

(2)(a) Any person, including those licensed to practice medicine, who gratuitously and in good faith renders emergency care or treatment either in direct response to emergency situations related to and arising out of a public health emergency declared pursuant to s. 381.00315, a state of emergency which has been declared pursuant to s. 252.36 or at the scene of an emergency outside of a hospital, doctor's office, or other place having proper medical equipment, without objection of the injured victim or victims thereof, shall not be held liable for any civil damages as a result of such care or treatment or as a result of any act or failure to act in providing or arranging further medical treatment where the person acts as an ordinary reasonably prudent person would have acted under the same or similar circumstances.

(b)1. Any hospital licensed under chapter 395, any employee of such hospital working in a clinical area within the facility and providing patient care, and any person licensed to practice medicine who in good faith renders medical care or treatment necessitated by a sudden, unexpected situation or occurrence resulting in a serious medical condition demanding immediate medical attention, for which the patient enters the hospital through its emergency room or trauma center, or necessitated by a public health emergency declared pursuant to s. 381.00315 shall not be held liable for any civil damages as a result of such medical care or treatment unless such damages result from providing, or failing to provide, medical care or treatment under circumstances demonstrating a reckless disregard for the consequences so as to affect the life or health of another.

[snip]

(c) Any person who is licensed to practice medicine, while acting as a staff member or with professional clinical privileges at a nonprofit medical facility, other than a hospital licensed under chapter 395, or while performing health screening services, shall not be held liable for any civil damages as a result of care or treatment provided gratuitously in such capacity as a result of any act or failure to act in such capacity in providing or arranging further medical treatment, if such person acts as a reasonably prudent person licensed to practice medicine would have acted under the same or similar circumstances.

(3) Any person, including those licensed to practice veterinary medicine, who gratuitously and in good faith renders emergency care or treatment to an injured animal at the scene of an emergency on or adjacent to a roadway shall not be held liable for any civil damages as a result of such care or treatment or as a result of any act or failure to act in providing or arranging further medical treatment where the person acts as an ordinary reasonably prudent person would have acted under the same or similar circumstances.


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seriously... you can't get blood from a stone. the point of a suit is to recover damages for the victim (which the lawyer takes a cut out of).

suing your avergae citizen is going to be waste of time because you can't collect what it aint there.

 

[Wildcard]

Read this:
http://pa.essortment.com/goodsamaritanl_redg.htm

"This law makes a disctint difference between a lay person and a professional performing first aid. 'Exempting a person from the ordinary standard of care', this excludes professionals from being protected by good samaritan laws in wrongdoing. It is specific, again, to a lay person

Ive been in EMS since 1979, Had this covered once or twice.

 

[H2Andy]

i think we're talking at cross-purposes.



please re-read the FLorida law. you will see that it covers
"any person, including those licensed to practice medicine."

this covers everybody.

that source you gave me has some errors in it, btw.

 

[Wildcard]

Each state has slightly different laws. The source I posted is a general description. I used to date a gal that was both a lawyer and paramedic and her stance was the laws mean nothing, anybody can be sued for anything. So far, knock on wood, the laws have not been challenged real hard....Point being, flow the Ozzzzzz, no harm will come.

Here is a link for Alaska, kinda long, just go down to the GSL section. Different states have different laws but good samaritians are always covered. The latest twist is the use of AEDs, ya don't HAVE to be trained to use them to be covered.
http://www.richmondquinn.com/overview8.html#C2

 

[Don Burke]

If you had just come out of the water and taken a hit, would you accept O2 from a non-qualified person if there was an O2 cylinder available?

Just hand me the mask and put my hand on the valve. You do not have to administer anything.

 

[GoBlue!]

Giving oxygen to someone with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can supress their respiratory drive. The urge to breath in normal healthy individuals (ie people medically qualified to dive) is triggered by CO2 levels. However someone with COPD is triggered to breath by changing levels of oxygen. The result problem with this is if you put them on high concentration of O2 the patient may "forget" to breath and passout. That said, this is still not a contraindication to giving them O2. You just have to pay more attention to them. But as others have mentioned someone with COPD shouldn't be diving in the first place so you need not worry about it.

The blunting of respiratory drive to carbon dioxide occurs in the minority of COPD patients. It should not be of concern to emergency responders; obviously the airway/breathing will be monitored closely until the victim has been transferred to a hospital. This response is more of a concern to hospitalized patients or those using oxygen at home, but even then, it's feared far more than it should be.

Jim