Date: Mar 2013

Agency: LACoFD Squad

Location: Near Cerritos

Private ambulance arrives on-scene and witnesses the patient collapse, stop breathing, and start turning purple. FD arrives as they are rolling him over for a pulse check. FD stops the pulse check and tell the crew to just get him in the ambulance. One minute later, they’re in the ambulance. FD starts directing private EMTs on ventilation.

EMT disregards and goes for a pulse check, reporting no pulse. FD starts arguing that he must have a pulse, since he has an occasional agonal breath. EMT has to restate “he has no pulse, I’m starting compressions”. Finally, one FD medic steps in and says,, “yeah he might just be agonal, they do that sometimes” and gives permission to finally start CPR.

There seems to be this mentality that patients don’t actually go into “real” arrest or “actually” have a loss of consciousness…This is why even with witnessed cardiac arrests, patients seem to have such a low survival rate in Los Angeles. CPR is repeatedly, continuously, and habitually delayed (and interrupted) on cardiac arrests.

It is ridiculous for EMTs on multiple occasions have to ask to start or continue compressions, while meeting resistance from paramedics.