"NY state first issues, then rescinds do-not-resuscitate order amid COVID-19"

"Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, on April 17 the state of New York issued a do-not-resuscitate guideline for any patient found in cardiac arrest – telling paramedics not to try to revive people if there was no beating heart.

However, within hours of the New York Post first reporting on the drastic measure on April 21, Howard A. Zucker, the Commissioner of Health for New York State, announced that the do-not-resuscitate (DNR) guideline would be rescinded. Thus, at a minimum, first responders will still work on patients for 20 minutes by providing CPR...

According to the New York Department of Health, the do-not-resuscitate guideline was 'necessary during the COVID-19 response to protect the health and safety of EMS providers by limiting their exposure, conserve resources, and ensure optimal use of equipment to save the greatest number of lives.'

Hilliard countered that 'not to continue those measures until the hospital assumes care and the ability of the patient to survive can be assessed, violates the provider-patient trust codified in all health professional practice acts.'"