Agencies
Services
Other EMS Programs
Emergency Care for Choking
The Department has determined that the “Standards and Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiac Care," American Heart Association (2010), can be used safely and effectively in an emergency by laymen in the removal of food lodged in a person’s throat. The Department provides placards on this website that Illinois restaurants can use. The Department also has training guidelines for restaurant staff related to choking found in “The Treatment of Choking Victims” code.
Physical Fitness Facilities
The Illinois Department of Public Health has set requirements for physical fitness facilities regarding:
- Automated External Defibrillators (AED)
- Staff CPR training
- Complaints and Inspections
Do-Not-Resuscitate/Practitioner Orders For Life-Sustaining Treatment
You may also ask your health care professional about having a do-not-resuscitate (DNR)/practitioner orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLST)(DNR/POLST Order). A DNR/POLST Order is an advanced directive that says that cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) cannot be used if your heart and/or breathing stops; it can also be used to record your desires for life-sustaining treatment. The Department of Public Health has published a Uniform DNR/POLST Order that is available for download at this webpage. This webpage also provides a link to guidance for individuals, health care professionals and health care providers concerning the IDPH Uniform DNR/POLST Order.
The Uniform DNR/POLST Order requires your signature or that of your authorized legal representative (your legal guardian, health care power of attorney, or health care surrogate), as well as the signature of your attending practitioner and a witness who is 18 years of age or older. A DNR/POLST Order will not be entered into your medical record unless it contains all of the required signatures. You can ask your practitioner to work with you to prepare the Uniform DNR/POLST Order.