To work a code or not

[ERDoc]

Before I moved to Michigan I would have had to ask what snow was, lol. Yeah, wilderness is nice but you can't beat sitting on a beach in the Hamptons, checking out the locals..er..scenery.

[Bullets]

Really ????? You don't work dead bodies ?? How many dead infants have you left at home ?

2

in 10 years of working EMS, I find it comes down to how you handle the situation. Not to sound like a cold hearted bastard, but i see no advantage to a compassion code. Old or young… if there are the signs that it is an obvious death, the best thing to do is to make the situation as it is. You have a dead body, and you have new patients to take care of… the Family. Remember the Phases of Death you learned in your EMT class, or should have, you will have to adjust to that to the surviving family. I usually call my dispatch to have a social worker be sent to the location to help the family deal as well.

I have worked with many partners who believe a compassion code will make their job easier just to get it done with and not have to deal with a grieving family. A compassion code, in my opinion would be the worst thing to do. In most cases, the family realizes that there is nothing more we can do as Providers, but still have the phases to go through; and yes, that means they will go through a phase of anger… "Why wont you do anything! Do something…"

To better enable you to deal with these situations, enroll in a class/Seminar that covers dealing with surviving family members of the deceased. If you talk to a social worker, they can probably put you in contact with someone they feel may be knowledgable in the sociology and psychology of such matters.

Im with this guy, compassion codes are crap, i feel this may be unethical to work that code if they are obviously dead

[rumedic]

I would never work a obvious DEAD person. A. how did they die comes into question and should we mess up a possiable crime scene. B. that gives family false hope and makes them think they should have done something more. C. Now we have added the burdon of an EMS bill and a ER bill on top of other expenses this family will surly have. D. the danger to yourself and general public of running code to ER for NO REASON.

I think we should learn to comfort the family and train on how to handle tell love ones that there family member has died. This requires some tact not just some moron saying "hes dead so we are not going to do anything"

AHA guildlines are moving toward doing limited efforts in the feild and if no change to call the code vs working codes on those with no chance of ROSC or hospital discharge even after ROSC.

Just my 2 cents I have been wrong before