Free Kill

By society's standards, Christopher John Salazar wasn't very significant. He wasn't famous; he wasn't a political figure; he wasn't a scholar. In fact, he never graduated from college. To his family and friends, he was very significant and an amazing human being, son, and a devoted father. So how did he die after 18 days of steady progress in an intensive care unit, in the care of trained professionals? This is a true story as told by the father of Christopher, about how a hospital got away with "a free kill" through a little know law in the state of Florida. About the Author: Ed Salazar, RRT, CPFT, RPSGT At the time of this writing, I have been a respiratory therapist for over 40 years. I relocated from Adrian Michigan to South Florida in 1972 to attend Broward College to study respiratory therapy technology. From the time I graduated in 1974 until today, I have served as a staff therapist, shift supervisor, assistant director, and technical director for various cardiopulmonary services in South Florida. As a clinical therapist, I have worked in adult, pediatric, and neonatal intensive care units. I have been an instructor for pulmonary function technology in a collegiate respiratory therapy program and I have been an instructor for mechanical ventilation for critical care transport programs. Thanks to the patience and coaching from my editor and publisher, this book has been brought to press. I sincerely hope you find reading it worth your time, and that the information it contains might help you protect yourself and those you love while under the care of medical professionals.