 Relatives said Edward Givens died after paramedics told him acid reflux caused his chest pains. (Courtesy Of Lolitha Givens) |
Saturday, February 21, 2009; Page B08
The medical examiner has determined that a heart attack was the cause of death for a 39-year-old Northeast Washington man whose family said paramedics told him he had acid reflux and did not take him to a hospital when he complained of chest pains and trouble breathing.
An attorney for the family said yesterday it is preparing to sue the city for "individual acts of negligence" and "systemic errors" in providing emergency medical care.
"If the fire department had transported him to the hospital when he first called, he would be alive today," said William Lightfoot, representing the family of Edward L. Givens.
The District settled a multimillion-dollar lawsuit over missteps in emergency medical services two years ago, promising the family of retired New York Times journalist David E. Rosenbaum that it would make operational reforms. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) appointed a task force, and the city's fire chief said he has been implementing its recommendations.
Givens was not breathing when a relative found him lying in a hallway early on the morning of Dec. 3.
Six hours earlier, paramedics who had responded to a 911 call at the family home had said Givens's vital signs were normal and told him to take an antacid for indigestion, family members said.
Beverly Fields, chief of staff for the D.C. office of the chief medical examiner, said in an e-mail that an autopsy found that Givens died from "occlusive coronary atherosclerosis due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease." In layman's terms, Givens had heart disease, and his arteries became so clogged that the disruption to blood flow was fatal. Chest discomfort and shortness of breath are typical warning signs of a heart attack.
D.C. Fire Chief Dennis L. Rubin has asked the city's inspector general to investigate the agency's actions in regard to Givens, and D.C. Attorney General Peter J. Nickles said the city would conduct an operational review of the matter.
A fire department spokesman said yesterday that he had not seen the coroner's report and referred all requests for comment to Nickles.
Nickles said he has reviewed a draft of the operational report on the Givens case but said a final version will not be completed until the medical examiner's office concludes its evaluation. He also said he was unaware that the medical examiner had determined a cause of death.
He would not comment yesterday on the operational report but said, "The city gets sued all the time."
"Bill's a good lawyer, and I look forward to seeing him in court," Nickles added.
An spokesman for the inspector general said he could not comment because the probe is ongoing.
Lolitha Givens said she has not been contacted by city officials about her son's death.
She said that her family has a history of heart disease and that she had a heart attack in 1994. "Maybe his death could not have been avoided [but] it might not have been as swift," she said, fighting back tears.
Every day since her son's death, she has questioned her decision to listen to the paramedics, she said. She said that an electrocardiogram was performed and that the paramedics said it was normal. "They convinced us his vital signs were good . . . so who were we to second-guess them?" she said.
Terry Jodrie, a regional medical director for the state agency that oversees emergency medical services in Maryland, said that not all heart attack victims will show an abnormal electrocardiogram and that heartburn can have the same symptoms. "This is one of the things that makes the diagnosis so difficult," Jodrie said.
Paul Maniscalco, a senior researcher at George Washington University and a past president of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, said paramedics should always err on the side of safety. "By transporting to the hospital, you bring the patient the benefit of a higher medical and clinical competence," he said.
Lightfoot said the Givens family, like the Rosenbaums, hopes legal action will spur the city to improve its emergency medical care.
"Mr. Givens' death was preventable, and Mr. Rosenbaum's death was preventable, and our goal is to see that there are no more needless deaths," Lightfoot said yesterday.
