Sudden Death: A Pre-hospital Perspective

Abstract

The ability to deal with complex scenarios is the hallmark of a proficient paramedic practitioner. Sudden deaths occur regularly in the course of clinical practice and call upon the paramedic to handle not only the patient’s clinical condition prior to and after the patient’s death but they must also be able to handle the emotional reactions of the people at the scene including those of their colleagues who may be less experienced. The following chapter reflects on the paramedic’s preparedness for dealing with a range of sudden death encounters.