PREGNANT PATIENTS

Notwithstanding the existence of an order or direction to the contrary, life-sustaining treatment, CPR, nutrition and hydration shall be provided to a pregnant patient by a health care provider unless, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty as certified on the patient’s medical record by the patient’s attending physician and a second physician who is an obstetrician who has examined the patient, life-sustaining treatment, nutrition and hydration will have one of the following consequences:

1. (1) They will not maintain the pregnant patient in such a way as to permit the continuing development and live birth of the unborn child.
2. (2) They will be physically harmful to the pregnant patient.
3. (3) They will cause pain to the pregnant patient which cannot be alleviated by medication.

Source

The provisions of this § 1051.61 amended February 6, 2004, effective February 7, 2004, 34 Pa.B. 677. Immediately preceeding text appears at serial page (294024).

Cross References

This section cited in 28 Pa. Code § 1051.23 (relating to disclosures to patient requesting out-of-hospital DNR order); 28 Pa. Code § 1051.24 (relating to disclosures to surrogate requesting out-of-hospital DNR order); and 28 Pa. Code § 1051.101 (relating to recognition of other states’ out-of-hospital DNR orders).