Serious flaws in D.C.’s paramedic system

So says an editorial in last week’s The Washington Post.  The editorial details multiple deaths, allegedly caused by the inadequacies of  DC emergency response units.  One of the cases is the tragic story of Stephanie Stevens:

Responding to a call of a child with trouble breathing, emergency personnel went to Stephanie’s home on Feb. 10. But instead of taking her to a hospital, they advised her mother to run a hot shower to clear the child’s congested lungs. Less than 24 hours later, after another 911 call, she was dead, reportedly from complications of pneumonia.

This horrible set of circumstances follows other deaths in recent years – one with striking similarities:

Yet another problematic case was that of Edward L. Givens, who died in December 2008 after complaining of chest pains and being advised by emergency medical personnel to take Pepto-Bismol for what was likely acid reflux.

According to The Washington Post, a task force has been formed and has made some limited progress.  However, some of the main goals involve equal pay for medical personnel and to unify operations.  To date, this has not been accomplished.  An in-depth exclusive was featured by The Washington Post last year, regarding DC EMS problems.  A very concerning assessment of the quality of the training and performance of D.C.’s emergency response units was the subject of a Washington Times report of April 2009, which contains a ‘must see’ interview of Paul Werfel, Stony Brook University’s EMT/paramedic program director conducted by NBC 4, Washington, D.C.

Tags: ambulance procedures, emergency care, Nash & Associates