imported post
Devils Advocate wrote:
I do not recall a law that compels you to help others. That is your civic duty.
I am not going to put my mouth on a strangers mouth and give CPR.
I am not going to touch blood from a stranger either!!
I will give you clothing for a pressure dressing and call 9-1-1 for you. But I am not required to help you.
Nothing like providing aid to someone and then contracting a life threatening illness for your good deed.
Any person that would simply walk away from a victim of crime who had suffered a gunshot wound is a lowlife piece of filth. At least give them something to help stop the bleeding, a shirt, a towel, almost anything can work as a bandage in an emergency. It doesn't have to be pristine and sterile (though that would be nice),worry about infection of the wound after you've solved the problem of bleeding out.
While there may be no law to render aid, that doesn't mean that youhave no responsibility to do so. I don't like the idea of these kind of laws because it's one of those things that shouldn't be required by law, it should just be done. I don't think that everything should need tobe written in the law,onsome things youshould just know better. Cases like this is where laws like that come from. IfI turnmy back on someone, I won't be surprised if someone turns their back on me.
If you requalify on yourCPR training you will find that you are no longer required to do mouth to mouth, this is a recent change. Blood only poses a risk if you have an open wound, or if you get it in your mouth or eyes or other bodily orifice (I don't even want to know how that would happen in this context.). There are things that can be done after the fact to help reduce your risk from contamination that you may have come into contact with.
The risks are just not that severe if you take even minimal precautions. If it were that dangerous we would not have any ER staff because they would all be dead. They touch blood (and other bodily fluids)from strangers almost every day.
If I came across someone in that situation, the thought of disease would not even cross my mind until after the situation was resolved. If something did happen which caused me to become infected, then it would just be a case of giving your life while saving others. This is something that every person that has ever served in the military has had to be prepared to face at some point. I would rather die knowing that I did the right thing than live a long life as a coward.
Off topic, but still good to know. The Bee Gees' song "Staying Alive" is the perfect rhythm for giving chest compressions during CPR. Just do the compressions to the beat while singing the song in your head. And besides, it is kind of appropriate for the situation.:lol: