Los Angeles County ambulance crews told not to transport patients with little chance of survival

[brooklynite]

Source: CNN

As hospitalizations climb, the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMS) directed ambulance crews not to transport patients with little chance of survival to hospitals and to conserve the use of oxygen.

Before the pandemic, when healthcare workers and resources were more readily available, patients who were unlikely to recover could be transported by ambulance to the hospital for treatment.

But Los Angeles hospitals are now at capacity and many medical facilities don't have the space to take in patients who do not have a chance of survival, the agency said. Patients whose hearts have stopped despite efforts of resuscitation, the county EMS said, should no longer be transported to hospitals.

"Effective immediately, due to the severe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on EMS and 9-1-1 Receiving Hospitals, adult patients (18 years of age or older) in blunt traumatic and nontraumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) shall not be transported [if]return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) is not achieved in the field," the agency said in a memo issued to ambulance workers last week.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/05/us/los-angeles-county-california-human-disaster-covid/index.html

[Delphinus]

1. I wonder

if now is the time for compassionate death. Surely there is a drug that can be administered to help those who will not recover a quick and painless death. A syringe full of gentle death.

[oro]

13. but what would the deity say?

Yeah, you have a point--but nations mature and compassionate enough to have those kinds of ideas would never leave people to die in the first place. Catch-22. In the U.S. you can be neglected to death, but not helped to a painless end.

[Delphinus]

14. First,

welcome to DU!

You made an excellent point - nations mature and compassionate enough would not be letting people die in the first place. What a world we are living in ...

[Warpy]

19. It doesn't have to be lethal

A little Valium chased by a little morphine can reduce pain and anxiety and allow the dying person to relax a little before the inevitable end. I wish LA County would authorize EMTs to do this. Blue patients in terror and barely able to breathe who are elderly with a host of underlying medical conditions would be much better served by palliative care like this. It's time to come to terms with it.

Being kept in a partial coma on a ventilator for weeks is cruel when the outcome is inevitable.

It's time to come to terms with the fact that some people are just going to die sooner rather than later. It's time to treat them appropriately.

[NickB79]

22. If the patient's heart has already stopped, there's no point in a shot

And the article says they're only denying hospital admitting to those who's hearts have stopped and can't be revived on site.

People who may be dying, but who's hearts are still functioning, are still brought in.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Death panels. NT

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Is this the rollout of the Trump Health Care Plan?

[TigressDem]

4. Horrifying!

AND this type of death while not directly from COVID IS DUE TO COVID.

WOW.


All those people - hospitals are over reporting COVID DEATHS.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. Southern California: a confluence of RW anti-maskers & at-risk groups (low-wage-no-sick-leave). . nt

[Hotler]

6. We going to drive around the block until you go to the light. Then we're....

going to set you on a bus bench. RIP

[SergeStorms]

7. This reminds me of...

I'm not making light of the situation. "Gallows humor" is my way of dealing with this tragedy.

[packman]

9. Shit, you beat me to it

We gotta call each other and flip a coin on these type of postings

[betsuni]

24. Yup. Immediately thought of it.

Was afraid to mention it in case someone got mad at me.

[LiberalArkie]

8. Triage

[pandr32]

10. How terrifying for those struggling to breathe

I have had two near-fatal asthma attacks and can say with absolute certainty that suffocating is completely terrifying. At the very least people they leave behind should be given heavy medication to quell their suffering somewhat.
I cannot believe we have come to this. It is all so preventable. Damn this DT administration.

[Delphinus]

15. Yes.

My Mom died in hospice due to lung infiltrates - without the drugs to help her make her journey, it would have been horrific.

[pandr32]

18. I am so sorry

We must do what we can to help people suffer as little as possible.

[Delphinus]

21. ...

I hope your asthma is under control and that you stay healthy.

[pandr32]

26. Thank you!

I am being as good as gold with my meds and triggers.

[NickB79]

23. They aren't leaving people to die unless they have no heartbeat

If you had an asthma attack, they would work to resuscitate you on site for minutes after your heart stopped. Only then would they call time of death.

[pandr32]

25. I read it that those needing oxygen to survive were being left

If people cannot be resuscitated then of course they should be left--they are dead.

[Javaman]

11. I remember this happing in NYC. nt

[oro]

12. Don't be surprised

L.A. County is one of the most corrupt in the nation. They regularly victimize citizens and their Claims Board pays out monthly like a slot machine for a tiny minority of all the sh*t they do to citizens. Most don't know to sue. This is par for the course, unfortunately.

[SpankMe]

16. I get it. But "to conserve the use of oxygen" is bullshit

O2 is a cheap and abundant. That shouldn't be part of the rationale.

[Hekate]

17. But it is true. Old gas lines in hospitals can't keep up with demand, supply can't keep up...

...and there are not enough health care workers. The hospitals are breaking.

They are doing triage at the hospital. Patients are in the hallways and the gift shop. Now they are telling EMTs on ambulances to triage.

[oro]

20. They had a year to ramp up.

8th largest economy in the world can't plan for a surge they knew was coming. Shameful.