Paramedics in New York City have been given a grim new directive when responding to emergency calls: Do not bring patients in cardiac arrest into emergency rooms to be revived.
The order from the Regional Emergency Medical Services Council of New York City is meant to help keep the volume of patients low in the city's emergency wards so that hospitals can better care for the influx of COVID-19 patients.
The order only applies to adult patients. Those under cardiac arrest are to be given treatment for 20 minutes. If no cardiac activity is detected, treatment is then to stop.
