Posted on 04/05/2005 5:24:10 AM PDT by grjr21
DR. ROBERT Sangrigoli was at Philadelphia International Airport Jan. 13, waiting for a flight to Boston, when he heard the call for a doctor over the public address system.
As a cardiologist, he feels obliged to respond to emergencies, so he hustled over the Gate C-17.
He found a circle of people kneeling over Robert McCormack, 73, who lay on his back, unconscious and not breathing. His shirt was open and several people were working to revive him.
"I basically took over, running the code [responding to a cardiac emergency], giving instructions," Sangrigoli said.
The good news was that the airport is well-stocked with wall-mounted automatic defibrillator units, designed to deliver a life-saving electrical jolt to heart attack victims.
He was about to find out the bad news.
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
"I have heard that the devices are not being properly maintained," Ravitch wrote in the Oct. 27, 2003, e-mail. "Specifically, they may no longer contain an adequate electrical charge."
Ravitch raised the same concern in an e-mail the following month to John McCourt, the airport's occupational safety administrator.
McCourt was unavailable for comment yesterday.
"Unfortunately, I can only bring problems to management's attention. I can't make them give a damn," Ravitch said last week. "This tragedy was entirely predictable and entirely preventable.""
This is so typical of a bureaucracy,
The only thing they are capable of properly maintaining is a overbloated payroll.
This is Pennsylvania, one of the worst malpractice climates in the country. Poor doc better call his insurance provider and say a few mea culpas for daring to play Samaritan. Wonder what kind of jurisdiction an airport is...
< The only thing they are capable of properly maintaining is a overbloated payroll. >
...and fire extinguishers. Think about it. In my building every so often (I don't know the schedule) we see the fire safety guys walking around checking the FEs. I've watched it for years. There is no reason that the same process can't be done for these defibrillators.
Prayers for the man's family and friends. And a reminder that our time on earth is limited, and precious. We never know when we'll be called home.
Agreed, and it isn't necessarily the occupational safety admin who handles that. In the industrial facilities I've worked in, HR handles the occupational safety stuff and maintenance/facilities is responsible for keeping the hardware in working order.
This simulated security camera comes with a functioning motion detector and activation light that allows the camera to move simulating a real video camera. Yours for only $16.95 The Philly airport could have saved a whole lotta dough if they had purchased 'simulator defibrillators'. /s
..and fire extinguishers. Think about it. In my building every so often (I don't know the schedule) we see the fire safety guys walking around checking the FEs. I've watched it for years. There is no reason that the same process can't be done for these defibrillators.
In Bucks County, Pa my sister in law gets billed every year for a fire safety inspection on her store. I looked, her extinguisher tags are YEARS overdue. Seems that all they do is send a bill, no inspection is done.
Jack
I feel sorry for the good samaritan. Next thing you know lawyers will be suing because there is not a crash cart at every gate and then every gate will be equipped with one. Then they will sue because the people are not always professionally trained and then... I can sleep more in the morning but this nightmare never ends.
Well, makes me wonder then...I received an AED for my school. When we placed the batteries in the device and put it through a partial test...no use of any pad, the device then began to beep for the 'low battery' warning. Great! Either these devices came with weak batteries, or there is not enough battery power to operate them. I wonder if these airport devices suffered from the same thing. You would leave the battery in to be ready for use, obviously, but if that drains the battery, someone might not realize that in time. For me, we were talking about 3 minutes from placing the batteries in before the beeping started. Not very long life!
I have a feeling that he'll do fine. He did the ethical thing, and I assume exercised the care and follow-through that a similarly educated and trained person would find prudent.
Not sure how the airport will fare, there are good arguments on both sides. Does the public have a right to expect defibrilation facilities? Does the airport have a legal duty to provide them? What are the ramifications of providing a feel-good impression without the ability to deliver the help? Similar to the impression that police presence gives, that they have a duty to help a person in distress, yet crime victims have no recourse aganst a police department for failing to prevent crime.
>The Philly airport could have saved a whole lotta dough if they had purchased 'simulator defibrillators'. /s
they could start a whole new "Cargo Cult" phenomonem
Whats next little old ladies as terrorist's.
OH ,wait . uh nevermind.
Philadelphia Airport is plagued with the same problems as the city itself. The woman brought in by Mayor Street and his people to run the airport left after they found out her "Harvard" degree was a dream. The link between city hall and who owns the
business areas of the airport have been well publicized. The trial going on now in Philadelphia spell out the strange deals and payola environment. We use BWI and ignore
Philadelphia
I would have to wonder why these units were not capable of 110v operation. Plenty of that kind of power around an airport.
Hilary, go back to DU!
where can I get one, seriously. thanks
I'm not a medical professional, or even much of an observer, so will defer to your expertise.
I saw a woman die on the 16th green once, probably for the very reason you describe. No defib at the golf course, and EMS was 15-20 minutes away. I don't think airports have a legal duty to have working defibrillators, but could be wrong on that point. Requirements for fire supression have a statutory basis, building codes, etc.
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