No health care provider or EMS personnel is liable for damages, may be the subject of disciplinary proceedings, or may be subject to civil or criminal liability due to:
(1) issuing a "do not resuscitate order for emergency medical services" or a "do not resuscitate bracelet";
(2) good faith reliance on a "do not resuscitate order for emergency medical services" or a "do not resuscitate bracelet" resulting in:
(a) the withholding of resuscitative treatment; or
(b) the withholding of resuscitative treatment already in progress once a duly executed "do not resuscitate order for emergency medical services" is identified;
(3) initiating resuscitative treatment on a "do not resuscitate patient" if EMS personnel were unaware of the existence of the order or bracelet or if EMS personnel reasonably and in good faith believed the "do not resuscitate order" had been canceled or revoked or, where applicable, if the do not resuscitate bracelet has been tampered with or removed; or
(4) initiating resuscitative treatment on a "do not resuscitate patient" where in the best medical judgment of EMS personnel, the care was necessary to relieve pain or suffering or to provide comfort care to the patient.
HISTORY: 1994 Act No. 485, Section 2; 2016 Act No. 233 (H.4773), Section 6, eff June 3, 2016.
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".