Ethics question

[tylerdred]

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I am an EMT-B and was wondering the other day about a possible situation. What if on the job I have to help someone who killed a family member? Would I still be obligated to treat that person? Could I hand them off to another EMT to avoid abandonment issues?

 

[DonkeyD]

are you talking about one of your family members or one of theirs?

Pure vanilla answer? yes, doesn't matter if it's hitler himself you still gotta do your job

real world I think it'd be okay to pass it off on somebody else, as long as they have equal or greater credentials.

in my mind the scenario you're getting at is some drunk wrecking into a car with a family member...in that case I'd be treating my family member and let my partner or fire handle the drunk

 

[MedicFL]

Crew safety and Patient combative a reason that would allow you not to treat a patient in that situation but if they are in police custody you have to do your job. Leave your personal feelings at the door.

 

[deleted87716]

When I was an EMT, we rolled up on an MVA in which the husband of one of our crew had been killed. We didn't know it until we arrived. He had been in the car with another man, the driver, who was intoxicated but alive. It was pretty ugly. The wife was quickly intercepted by one of the officers on-scene (who instantly recognized her...we all knew each other), and pulled her aside to tell her what had happened. She dealt with her grief while the rest of us took care of the man who was responsible for killing her husband. Nobody expected her to help out at that point.

 

[146233]

Agree with above. I don't think anyone in their right mind would expect you to participate in treatment under those circumstances -- provided someone of equal or higher training is there to do it for you. Otherwise, you run risks.

 

[Boots89]

I once had to care for a person, who just shot and killed a local Highway Patrolman. VERY difficult thing to do.!

But, the up side of that was he went to jail. And everyone there knew he had shot the trooper.

🙂

 

[146233]

I once had to care for a person, who just shot and killed a local Highway Patrolman. VERY difficult thing to do.!

But, the up side of that was he went to jail. And everyone there knew he had shot the trooper.

...give him bilateral nasal airways with no lube, and two or three large bore IV's. 😛