Medical-Legal Issues, Consent, and Documentation Flashcards

Medications and procedures a WFR may use on an organized trip are typically defined by:

Answer: Written protocols authorized by a physician medical advisor

Organizations use physician-authorized protocols to define and extend the scope of practice in the field.

A WFR on a remote trip finds a patient pulseless and apneic after 30 minutes of CPR with no response and no defibrillator. What does WFR training generally support?

Answer: Stopping CPR per protocol when resuscitation is futile and rescuers are exhausted or in danger

Wilderness protocols generally allow stopping CPR after about 30 minutes without return of circulation, or when rescuers are exhausted or endangered.

A patient presents a valid DNR order while on a backcountry trip. What is generally appropriate?

Answer: Honor it if valid and per local law and protocol, while providing comfort care

A valid DNR limits resuscitation but does not prohibit other appropriate care and comfort measures.

A WFR suspects a child on a trip is a victim of abuse. What should the WFR generally do?

Answer: Document objective findings and report according to state law and organizational policy

Many states designate certain caregivers as mandated reporters, and objective documentation supports proper reporting.

Why should a copy of the SOAP note accompany the patient when care is handed off to EMS?

Answer: It gives receiving providers a record of findings, treatment, and trends

Written documentation supports continuity of care and preserves important findings for the next provider.

Which is the most legally important reason to keep thorough field documentation?

Answer: It provides a record showing that care met the standard of care

A complete, accurate record is the best evidence of what care was provided and why.

Rescuers find an obviously dead hiker with decapitation in the backcountry. Regarding the scene, the WFR should:

Answer: Disturb the scene as little as possible, document observations, and notify authorities

Injuries incompatible with life do not require resuscitation, and the scene should be preserved for authorities.