Medikamentöse Analgesie durch Notfallsanitäter

This book answers one of the most controversial questions regarding paramedics’ scope of practice: can paramedics administer strong painkillers before the physician arrives? The research and analyses argue that recent policies giving paramedics permission to administer analgesics, and especially controlled substances, are on shaky legal grounds. Additional legal reform is therefore needed to protect both patients and paramedics.
The reader is first introduced to the legal foundations for understanding this subject. The book then examines whether criminal law allows paramedics to administer analgesic drugs. Two common medical emergencies are examined in detail as examples of possible justifications and excuses for the paramedics’ response: trauma of the extremities and myocardial infraction. Civil law issues regarding possible liability, employment and contracts are covered next. Lastly, telemedicine is proposed as a way to avoid or solve some of the legal issues raised.