Woman dies in ambulance when oxygen runs out

[Quakefire]

Ok so if it was an electric vent there should have been an alarm. I have never worked with an oxygen powered vent before so forgive me if im wrong. Vents arn't the quietest of devices, why wouldnt you hear the vent stop?

[Richard B the EMT]

As noted in numerous of my postings, I'm an EMT-B, providing BLS service. If I get called to an extended care facility (NOT a hospital) to bring a patient to the ER, and the patient is on a vent, I'm radioing for Paramedic backup. This is more for the additional set of hands. We end up disconnecting the facility's vent, as the last thing disconnected from the patient, and go BVM. Just before we start wheeling the stretcher to the elevator, we radio for a notification to the destination ER, asking for their respiratory therapist to have a vent ready to meet us at the ER.

I admit, again, most times when I transport, I'm no more than 15 minutes from any point in the city to an appropriate ER, and usually not more than 45 to a specialty receiving ER (burn, trauma, STEMI), so it remains a short time for using the BVM.

Equipment failure? The safety check is the tech in the back. The initial safety check for the tech in the back is the equipment. If both fail at the same time, something is off, big time.

I am somewhat familiar with the Road Rescue brand type one ambulances, and somehow, if only one vehicle out of however many they made the year the "suspect" vehicle was made, I doubt the vehicle systems are at fault.

All, however, the vehicle, the on-board and portable equipment, and the actions of both the sending facility and ambulance crews, will be reviewed by the investigators, and whatever the determination made, I hope to see it here.

[CBEMT]

I'm kind of curious how the fire department ends up on a nursing home to nursing home job myself.

[Richard B the EMT]

CBEMT, I am unsure if that was directed at me, but if it was, FDNY EMS would only be doing "Transfers" between ERs, and it would have to be something quite significant to require it. It also would need authorization of the EMD Duty Captain, and the OLMC doctor in charge.

If it wasn't directed at me, I hope no harm done.