The definition of "Field Save."

[chico.medic]

the thing about some of our current polices is there's no wiggle room for instance, don't stop cpr if started...

we've had a number of calls where family or coworkers have started cpr on a man down long enough to gain lividity

~S~

Are you saying your local policies don't allow you to determine death in the field? I don't care if family starts cpr, but if their loved one has rigors, or levidity, it's DOA.

Here's our LEMSA's policy for it:

http://www.norcalems.org/pnp-manual..._Care_Policies/301_Determination_of_Death.doc

 

[Jon]

Without a pulse is anyone alive? The point is, by resuscitating that woman, I gave her a chance to live on, a chance she otherwise would not have had. Granted, she died two days later.

I think the question is, what was her "Quality of life" in the hospital? Was she CAOx4 in ICU, and then just died from something else, or did she spend 2 days gorped out in the ICU on a vent and a feeding tube before the family could bring themselves to pull the plug?

One could be a save. The other is a "successful resusitation."

I've gotten pulses back a few times... all my pt's die well before hospital discharge, so I've not had a save yet.