(A) A document purporting to be a "do not resuscitate order" for EMS purposes must be in substantially the following form:
NOTICE TO EMS PERSONNEL
This notice is to inform all emergency medical personnel who may be called to render assistance to _________________ that he/she has a terminal condition which has been diagnosed by me, and has specifically requested that no resuscitative efforts including artificial stimulation of the cardiopulmonary system by electrical, mechanical, or manual means be made in the event of cardiopulmonary arrest or, if he/she is a child, such a request has been specifically made by a parent or legal guardian with the legal authority to make medical decisions for the child.
REVOCATION PROCEDURE
THIS FORM MAY BE REVOKED BY AN ORAL STATEMENT BY THE PATIENT OR, IF THE PATIENT IS A CHILD, BY A PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN WITH THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO MAKE MEDICAL DECISIONS FOR THE CHILD TO EMS PERSONNEL OR BY MUTILATING, OBLITERATING, OR DESTROYING THE DOCUMENT IN ANY MANNER.
Date:_______________________________
___________________________________
Patient's signature (or surrogate or agent)
___________________________________
Parent or Legal Guardian
___________________________________
Physician's signature
___________________________________
Physician's address
___________________________________
Physician's telephone number
(B) The department may approve a "do not resuscitate bracelet" developed and distributed by a commercial vendor if the bracelet contains an emblem that displays an internationally recognized medical symbol on the front and the words "South Carolina Do Not Resuscitate EMS" and the patient's first name and last name on the back. The department may not approve a "do not resuscitate bracelet" developed and distributed by a commercial vendor if the vendor does not require a health care provider's order for the bracelet before distributing it to a patient.
(C) The cost of obtaining a bracelet must be borne by the patient or, if the patient is a child, the parent or legal guardian of the child and may not be provided by the department at the expense of the department.
(D) The vendor approved by the department shall not fulfill a request for a "do not resuscitate bracelet" without receiving a health care provider's order for the bracelet with the request.
HISTORY: 1994 Act No. 485, Section 2; 2016 Act No. 233 (H.4773), Section 5, eff June 3, 2016; 2022 Act No. 122 (S.508), Section 3, eff March 14, 2022.
Effect of Amendment
2022 Act No. 122, Section 3, rewrote the section.
Structure South Carolina Code of Laws
Chapter 78 - Emergency Services Non-resuscitation Order
Section 44-78-10. Short title.
Section 44-78-15. Definitions.
Section 44-78-25. Duties of EMS personnel when presented with "do not resuscitate order".
Section 44-78-40. Full resuscitative measures required in absence of order or bracelet.
Section 44-78-60. Means of revocation of "do not resuscitate order for emergency services".