Georgia emergency physicians say a shortage of drugs to treat critically ill and injured people poses a ‘‘real danger to our patients today, without relief in sight.’’

The Georgia EMS Medical Directors Advisory Council, in a letter Tuesday to the state commissioner of Public Health, said EMS physicians are adjusting protocols because of the shortages, including restricting the use of scarce drugs ‘‘to only the most severely ill and injured.’’

The physicians said there has been reported use of expired medication when up-to-date medication was not available. “The risk of using properly stored expired medication is preferable to helplessly witnessing the death of an adult or a child,’’ said the letter written by Dr. Robert Cox, chairman of the council, to Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, commissioner of Public Health. A copy of the letter was obtained by Georgia Health News.

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