I had a hard time falling asleep the other night. What could have caused this rare occurrence? Was it worrying about bills, jobs, kids? No, the reason had to do with the July 29 story “EMS agencies to help with studies” I read just before going to bed. A better headline would be, “Clark County residents to become lab rats.” Where is the outrage? Patients in cardiac arrest receive lidocaine, amiodarone or the equivalent of a sugar pill? If you receive the saline injection it’s the same as if you were not treated at all. Why bother to call 911?
If I were an EMS responder I would refuse to cooperate with this travesty of a study. As an RN, I would have to quit my job before participating in treating a cardiac arrest with normal saline, without patient consent no less.
My suggestion to everyone is to get the “No Study” bracelet by calling OHSU at 503-494-8083; let any and all you know and care about across the country know they should opt out, as this is a national study; and then contact any government rep you can think of and urge them to rein in the bureaucracy behind this study.
Jane Dunham
Yacolt
