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on July 14, 1970. Chapter 421 An
act to add Article 3 (commencing with Section 1480) to Chapter 2.5,
Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to paramedics, and
declaring the urgency, to take effect
immediately.
[Approved
by Governor July 14, 1970. Filed
with
Secretary of State July 14, 1970.] The
people of the State of California do enact as follows: Section
1, Article 3 (commencing with Section 1480) is added to Chapter 2.5,
Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:
Article 3.
Mobile Intensive Care Paramedics 1480.
Any hospital operated by, or contracting with, a county with a
population of over 6,000,000 may conduct a pilot program utilizing
mobile intensive care paramedics for the delivery of emergency medical
care to the sick and injured at the scene of an emergency, and during
transport to a hospital, while in the hospital emergency department, and
until care responsibility is assumed by the regular hospital staff. 1481.
(a) As used in this article “mobile intensive care
paramedics” means personnel who have been specially trained in
emergency cardiac and noncardiac care in a training program certified by
the county health officer or the director of hospitals designated by the
board of supervisors and who are certified by the officer as qualified
to render the services enumerated in this article. (b)
As used in this article “mobile intensive care nurse” means
a registered nurse who has been certified by a county officer designated
by the board of supervisors as qualified in emergency cardiac care. 1482.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law mobile intensive care
paramedics may do any of the following: (1)
Render rescue, first-aid and resuscitation services. (2)
During training at the hospital and while caring for patients in
the hospital administer parenteral medications under the direct
supervision of a registered nurse. (3)
Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation in a
pulseless, nonbreathing patient. (4)
Where voice contact or a telemetered electrocardiogram is
monitored by a physician or a certified mobile intensive care nurse
where authorized by a physician, and direct communication is maintained,
may upon order of such physician or such nurse do any of the following: (a)
Administer intravenous saline or glucose solutions. (b)
Perform gastric suction by intubation. (c)
Administer parenteral injections of any of the following classes
of drugs: (i)
Antiarrhythmic
agents. (ii)
Vagolytic agents.
(iii) Chronotropic
agents. (iv)
Analgesic agents.
(v)
Alkalinizing agents.
(vi) Vasopressor
agents. 1483.
No physician or nurse, who in good faith gives emergency
instructions to a paramedic at the scene of an emergency, shall be
liable for any civil damages as a result of issuing the instructions. 1484.
This article shall remain in effect only until the 91st
day after final adjournment of the 1972 Regular Session of the
Legislature and shall have no force or effect after that date. 1485.
This article shall be known and may be cited as the Wedworth-Townsend
Paramedic Act. Sec.
2. This act is an urgency statute
necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health or
safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go
into immediate effect. The facts constituting such necessity are:
There is a critical shortage of professionally trained medical
and nursing personnel for the delivery of fast, efficient emergency
medical care for the sick and injured at the scene and during transport
to a health care facility. Improved
emergency service is required to reduce the mortality rate during the
first critical minutes immediately following an accident, or the onset
of a serious physical condition such as an acute myocardial infarction.
Pilot project of the type provided for in this act are required
in order to develop and evaluate a program for the provision of the best
and most economical delivery of emergency medical care. For the full text of the Los Angeles County Citizens Economy and Efficiency Commission "Report of the Paramedic Committee" (August, 1975), click on the paramedic patch below!
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