DC EMS Patient Dies after Non-Transport
Less than two days after a fight on the scene of a medical emergency between a captain and wagon driver at Engine 30, the same fire company is again under investigation. This time it is about the care provided to man with chest pains early Wednesday morning by Paramedic Engine 30 and Ambulance 30. Relatives claim firefighters told the 39-year-old man to take Pepto-Bismol and he wasn't transported. The man died within 6 hours. Read the story from The Washington Post.
Sources tell STATter 911 the complaints about the patient care on this call are not just coming from the family, but also from within the department.
STATEMENT BY FIRE CHIEF DENNIS L. RUBIN
I was notified today about a specific medical call that is currently under investigation by the DC Fire & EMS Department.
At 11:40 last night, Paramedic Engine 30 and Ambulance 30 were summoned to an address in Northeast for a person having trouble breathing. Personnel responded quickly, in just over four minutes, and patient assessment was promptly started. Personnel provided service on the scene, but the patient, identified as an adult male, was not transported to the hospital.
Authorities responded back to the same location early today and found the same patient deceased.
As per protocol, we are conducting a thorough quality assurance case review and we will determine whether proper care was provided and if the two medical events are related. Until this investigation is complete, we will not be able to make any further comment.
Related:
