Peer Review
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þ Resuscitation Tapes Aren't Safe in Texas
 - "From:             "Craig B. Key, M.D., EMT-P" <ckey@HFD.CI.HOUSTON.TX.US>
   Organization:     Houston Fire Department - EMS One of the trauma centers
   here in Houston (Ben Taub General Hospital associated with Baylor College
   of Medicine) had an interesting experience with their video recording of
   trauma resuscitations.
      An arsonist was severely injured while on a fire setting spree. The
   arson police caught him at the scene of his most recent fire (at the
   Astrodome in Houston) and he was transported by EMS to the trauma center.
   An arson police officer appeared in the trauma room and got the patient to
   confess to the crime. He then looked around the room, saw the video camera
   and demanded the tape. Hospital officials would not turn the tape over to
   him. In a matter of hours, the arson police produced a court order to
   release the tape to their custody.
      This caused a great amount of concern within the trauma center. It was
   previously thought that these QA tapes were not available to the courts.
   This, however, does not appear to be the case.
   Craig B. Key, MD, EMT-P