Man dies after EMTs suggest antacids
Authorities investigate emergency workers who misdiagnosed a man's heart attack for acid reflux. WJLA reports.
This one hits close to home. My brother died less than a week after he got laid off of a heart attack. He didn't feel well but didn't want to go to the doctors. He had a job interview coming up and didn't want to go to hospital because he would miss the interview. He died. My father, well we were constantly watching for him to need help and he always asked for it. He always got great care until the night he died. His heart just gave out. He was gone by the time the ambulance arrived. They got his heart to start again but it stopped for the last time.
The man who just died did what he was supposed to do. The family did what they were supposed to do. They called for help. Something was missed and they let him down.
This is inexcusable. I've been working on an ambulance for 17 1/2 years. Soemtimes the heart monitor doesn't show anything abnormal for a few hours after a heart attack starts so they need to be taken to the hospital for further examination, labs etc. i hope the people on the ambulance lose their EMT certificates. J. Davis Paramedic, Texas
ReplyDeleteHi Jim,
ReplyDeleteI agree because it looks bad on all the others when something like this happens. I bet you do a great job.
I think there should be a thorough investigation into this. I'm sure it happens but I bet it's rare.
What if it was a blood clot in his heart? Did the EMT ever think of that? What would it have hurt to at least take him to the hospital and have him checked out more than they can do as EMT's? I added in my comments how the EMT's responded to my family and they did it with a lot of care because most of them do. We need to remember that most of them do a fantastic job whenever we talk about the ones that don't.
Typical chest Pain of a MI: Crushing, radiation to arm or jaw, and lasting longer than 20 minutes. But over 70% of the time, its not so typical.
ReplyDeleteI once had a patient come in to the ER with chest "discomfort" where he felt episodic stabbing pains for 10 seconds followed by 30 minutes relief. No radiation. EKG was squeaky clean, no STs, no Q's, no inverted T's. Nada. Ran blood tests and his tropinins were boderline. We didn't risk it and sent him to Cath. lab.
Turned out he had a massive inferior MI and after 2 stents he was fully recovered. Dr's make these judgment calls, not EMTs. I really don't know all the facts but that person should of at least been sent to the hospital. EMTs do not make the judgment calls for something as serious as chest pains, they should of known better.
Thank you! I thought it was the least that should have happened. Take the man to the hospital and find out for sure.
ReplyDeleteI hate to admit this, but the first time I had heartburn, I thought I was having a heart attack. I drove myself to the hospital terrified. There is a history of heart problems in my family and I let my imagination go a little wild. Anyway, the hospital took me seriously until they figured out that it was a simple case of heartburn made worse by the way I reacted. The point is, they took it seriously until they figured out I was fine. The EMT made a judgment call that ended up costing this man's life, a wife lost a husband, mother lost a son and kids lost their Dad.
Needless to say, I've never had heartburn again because I stay away from foods that I know will do it. One total humiliation was enough for me.