Asthma likely killed pregnant NY woman in EMT controversy

[VentMedic]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/emt_shun_gal_had_asthma_CQq7kJN4aPsA2baxKiP3LJ#ixzz0c1cHQ8S9

January 8, 2010

An ailing pregnant Brooklyn woman who was ignored by two EMTs on their coffee break likely died from an asthma attack, an autopsy revealed yesterday -- sparking outrage from her family.

Although that tentative finding still leaves open the question of whether the EMTs could have saved 25-year-old coffee shop worker Eutisha Rennix -- and her unborn baby -- there was no doubt about the answer for Rennix's mom.

"They should have helped her," said Cynthia Rennix after the autopsy at the Medical Examiner's Office in Brooklyn. "She would have been here today.

"This should never happen to another family again, because my family is destroyed right now," said the heartbroken mom outside the ME's office, where she was accompanied by relatives, including her daughter's 3-year-old son. "It makes me very angry."

Cynthia said the EMTs, Jason Green and Melisa Jackson, "could have given her the care that she needed to help her."

The autopsy was attended by former city medical examiner Michael Baden, who observed the procedure for the family.

The family's lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein, said: "Preliminarily, it appears the cause of death was simply an asthma."

"Had the asthma attack been addressed by the EMTs, would she have died? That's the question that has to be answered," Rubenstein said. "If there is criminal culpability, the EMTs should be held accountable."

City authorities have said that the emergency workers had a duty to check on Rennix.

Baden said an autopsy that was performed yesterday on Rennix's daughter showed the baby died as a result of oxygen deprivation. She was delivered some time after Rennix died.

Rennix collapsed Dec. 9 in a back room of the Au Bon Pain at MetroTech Center in Downtown Brooklyn, where she worked. The coffee shop is a favorite of firefighters and emergency medical technicians who work upstairs at the FDNY's offices.

Shop workers said Green and Jackson blew off repeated pleas to check on Rennix themselves, saying, "We're on our break, so there's nothing we can do," as they waited for their orders of Asiago cheese bagels.

Jackson eventually called one of her fellow emergency dispatchers upstairs to notify them that a woman was having "difficulty breathing," but she and her boyfriend Green left with their bagels before an ambulance arrived -- and without even looking at Rennix.

Rennix died hours later in a hospital, as did her baby.

Jackson and Green -- who have been suspended by the Fire Department without pay -- now are targets of a criminal investigation by the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office.

The EMTs' lawyer, Douglas Rosenthal, yesterday said, "It's premature to comment at this point."

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/emt_shun_gal_had_asthma_CQq7kJN4aPsA2baxKiP3LJ#ixzz0c8ATmfS9

[fireflymedic]

Regardless they are heartless jerks ! If you see someone and in uniform, if you don't at least offer basic first aid, then you are just as responsible in my eyes than if you were called there and refused to treat the patient. Not cool people, not cool. I'm incredibly sorry for her family that this was the face of FDNY that they saw. Obviously from what we see from the other gentleman that's in the boot story, there are some good ones out there that love their job and care about their paychecks. What a shame the boots kept him from being able to respond. I don't lump them all in a bad batch, there are some good ones, and it's not fair to them to have this stigma placed on them. A bad situation all the way around.

[Kaisu]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to recall that the two involved are a couple, (I'm thinking engaged). Is there not a rule about personally involved individuals working the same shift? I know that at our station it is against policy (although it happens).

If this is the case, there is a further blurring of professional lines that I believe contributes to individuals acting in an unprofessional manner. EMS (earn money sleeping) becomes a social club for some and the job becomes an intrusion.

[Lisa O]

Regardless they are heartless jerks !

I totally agree

[fireflymedic]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to recall that the two involved are a couple, (I'm thinking engaged). Is there not a rule about personally involved individuals working the same shift? I know that at our station it is against policy (although it happens).

If this is the case, there is a further blurring of professional lines that I believe contributes to individuals acting in an unprofessional manner. EMS (earn money sleeping) becomes a social club for some and the job becomes an intrusion.

That is very dependent on the dept. I have worked some places where it was allowed, and if they had a fight prior to coming into work, it made for an absolutely miserable shift for everyone. Yes, it convenient for them, but heaven help you. Another dept I worked with allowed same shift, but not same station. Another allowed same shift, but not partners. Just depends on the dept and what they want to tolerate. Frankly I think husband/wife teams on same shift or as partners is just a recipe for a disaster. We had one dept that had two husband and wife teams - both in the middle of a divorce, and working on shift with them was absolutely miserable to the point almost everybody was applying for transfers and eventually led to splitting them and placing at entirely different stations. It's not fun. Just better not to start it, then try to fix it later.

[mobey]

I am interested to see how this plays out.

It may be argued that they were technically "on break" or "not for hire" therefore there was no duty to act - hence no negligence.

On the other hand, I know an EMT who was walking near a 2yr old when she went into cardiac arrest and when the family asked him for help he declined. He was off duty, out of uniform. He was recently charged with "Failure to provide the necessities of life" and may be facing jailtime.

[flight-lp]

While I firmly agree that this situation could have and definately should have been handled more diplomatically, I have a couple of questions.

Were these two employees on an ambulance when they took this break? Or were they non-field employees working upstairs?

They definately should have immediately called for medical resources and made contact with the patient, but before we are judge and jury, the question lies in whether they had the immediate capabilities to address the emergency. Even if they had assessed and interacted with the patient, would the outcome have changed?

There is also the culpability of personal responsibility. Did the deceased have a history of asthma? If so, why did she not have her rescue inhaler with her? Was she compliant with her other medications?

This absolutely was an atrocity by the hands of two lazy ass self centered EMT's. From an administrative standpoint, they should be held liable. I do however question the criminal liability.

[JPINFV]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to recall that the two involved are a couple, (I'm thinking engaged). Is there not a rule about personally involved individuals working the same shift? I know that at our station it is against policy (although it happens).

If this is the case, there is a further blurring of professional lines that I believe contributes to individuals acting in an unprofessional manner. EMS (earn money sleeping) becomes a social club for some and the job becomes an intrusion.

It's company dependent. At my first company, there was a husband and wife that worked there, but they rarely worked on the same unit (in their words, they see each other all the time at home, why would they want to work together as well?). Additionally, the two EMTs involved were dispatchers, which means different work dynamics than field crews.

Were these two employees on an ambulance when they took this break? Or were they non-field employees working upstairs?

My understanding is that they were dispatchers working upstairs. Could they have done anything, especially without the tools of the trade, that could have changed the outcome? Probably not, however just being there and calling for help themselves is the difference between the patient 'dying despite the heroic efforts of NYFD's bravest' and 'dying due to the inaction of heartless bastards.'

[EMS49393]

I maintain that it is premature to be name-calling. This story has changed so many times since it was first published that it seems impossible to determine what those two people did or didn't do at the bagel shop. I understand the American way is guilty until proven innocent.

However, since this began, the following "facts" have been written about the incident by the local media:

- In one of the first articles, it read as though there were two sets of employees, one that ignored this woman and one that "tried to keep her still while the other called for an ambulance."

- In a later article it read that there was only this set of providers and they were the ones that attempted to keep the patient still while the other called for an ambulance.

- Conflicting stories on whether or not they actually left the scene before arrival of an actual ambulance.

- Initially she had a seizure, but according to this, another employee called upstairs to report she was having difficulty breathing.

There are a host of other inconsistencies I've found while reading all the articles, I'm just too sleepy to trace them.

Bottom line, I think it's unfair to crucify a person based on what the media states. I think the fair thing to do is to wait and see until the investigation is completed and it's facts released before we start calling this crew a bunch of "heartless bastards." You know, because the media always has the correct facts. You also have to consider how distraught this family is after their loss and what they're willing to say to the media. I understand they weren't even on scene so how would they have any idea aside from hearsay what happened? Perception is everything.

FDNY did the right thing by suspending them without pay pending the investigation. I think the fair thing to do is to allow the investigation to run it's course and if it is found that they did not act appropriately towards this woman, let the Crucifixion via public forum begin.

I would think that any one of us would want to be treated fairly if we had be accused of something this vicious, because right now, it is an ACCUSATION.

For the record, I'm not on anyone's side. I'm just working on being more diplomatic.

[stcommodore]

Just shows that the public sucks at identifying a seizure . But like someone elsw said this story has changed to many times for anyone not invloved to know.