With extra emergency medical companies workers in Colorado out sick amid excessive demand for medical transport, solely probably the most extreme sufferers will probably be taken by ambulance to hospitals underneath emergency protocols enacted Friday by state well being authorities.

Dr. Eric France, Colorado's chief medical officer, introduced the state was reactivating Disaster Requirements of Look after Emergency Medical Providers amid a speedy surge in COVID-19 instances.

"There was a speedy enhance in COVID-19 instances, largely because of the extremely contagious Omicron variant," France wrote in his order. "Moreover, these shortages of professional staffing, mixed with the case surge, necessitate efforts to answer and mitigate the results of the pandemic, forestall additional unfold, protect our well being care and emergency medical companies sources, in addition to present the wanted flexibility to deal with the results of the pandemic."

France stated in a press release that folks ought to nonetheless name 911 in the event that they want emergency care, and the requirements are meant to make sure that those that want quick medical consideration can get it.

Emergency Department
New disaster requirements in Colorado are meant to restrict use of emergency departments amid staffing shortages of emergency medical staff and elevated demand for ambulances. Peter Dazeley/Getty Photos

How the requirements play out will depend upon every group's sources. However they state that medical staff ought to "transport solely probably the most extreme instances." The requirements define a set of standards for when to not transport a affected person. These embrace somebody who's underneath 60 years of age, does not have a high-risk medical historical past, is able to making medical selections, is not in need of breath and meets sure important signal targets.

The requirements additionally embrace a recommended script for emergency medical service staff to make use of with sufferers not beneficial for transport. The script directs staff to inform sufferers that taking them to an emergency division "possible outweighs the advantages," and to as a substitute provide house care suggestions.

The requirements additionally describe stark programs of motion for some situations, together with that "sufferers in steady cardiac arrest WILL NOT BE TRANSPORTED."

"Sufferers in cardiac arrest with an preliminary rhythm of ventricular fibrillation ought to have restricted efforts at resuscitation together with CPR, electrical defibrillation and ACLS medicine," reads the requirements.

That is the second time Colorado has enacted disaster requirements for emergency companies. The primary was early within the pandemic in April 2020.

Presently, Colorado has not activated disaster requirements for hospitals. However in November, officers activated disaster requirements round staffing for well being care programs.

The Colorado Division of Public Well being and the Atmosphere didn't reply to an e-mail Friday night.