Title 31, Chapter 39, Section 2
( 31-39-2)
As used in this chapter, the term: (1) "Adult" means any person who is 18 years of age or older, is
the parent of a child, or has married. (2) "Attending physician" means the physician selected by or
assigned to a patient to have primary responsibility for the
treatment and care of the patient. Where more than one physician
share such responsibility, any such physician may act as the
attending physician pursuant to this chapter. (3) "Authorized person" means any one person from the following
list in the order of priority as listed below: (A) Any agent appointed pursuant to Chapter 36 of this title,
the "Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Act"; (B) A spouse; (C) A guardian over the person appointed pursuant to the provisions of Code Section 29-5-1; (D) A son or daughter 18 years of age or older; (E) A parent; or (F) A brother or sister 18 years of age or older. (4) "Candidate for nonresuscitation" means a patient who, based on
a determination to a reasonable degree of medical certainty by an
attending physician with the concurrence of another physician: (A) Has a medical condition which can reasonably be expected to
result in the imminent death of the patient; (B) Is in a noncognitive state with no reasonable possibility of
regaining cognitive functions; or (C) Is a person for whom cardiopulmonary resuscitation would be
medically futile in that such resuscitation will likely be
unsuccessful in restoring cardiac and respiratory function or
will only restore cardiac and respiratory function for a brief
period of time so that the patient will likely experience
repeated need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation over a short
period of time or that such resuscitation would be otherwise
medically futile. (5) "Cardiopulmonary resuscitation" means only those measures used
to restore or support cardiac or respiratory function in the event
of a cardiac or respiratory arrest. (6) "Decision-making capacity" means the ability to understand and
appreciate the nature and consequences of an order not to
resuscitate, including the benefits and disadvantages of such an
order, and to reach an informed decision regarding the order. (6.1) "Emergency medical technician" means a person certified as
an emergency medical technician, paramedic, or cardiac technician
under Chapter 11 of this title. (7) "Health care facility" means an institution which is licensed
as a hospital or nursing home pursuant to Article 1 of Chapter 7
of this title or licensed as a hospice pursuant to Article 9 of
Chapter 7 of this title, or a home health agency licensed pursuant
to Article 7 of Chapter 7 of this title. (8) "Minor" means any person who is not an adult. (9) "Order not to resuscitate" means an order not to attempt
cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the event a patient suffers
cardiac or respiratory arrest, or both. (10) "Parent" means a parent who has custody of a minor or is the
parent of an adult without decision-making capacity. (11) "Patient" means a person who is receiving care and treatment
from an attending physician. (12) "Reasonably available" means that a person to be contacted
can be contacted with diligent efforts by an attending physician,
another person acting on behalf of the attending physician, or the
health care facility within a reasonable period of time as
determined by the attending physician. |