HEALTH Dallas Man, 58, Dies of Cardiac Arrest After 19-Hour Emergency Room Wait

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,433121,00.html

Man, 58, Dies of Cardiac Arrest After 19-Hour Emergency Room Wait
Monday, October 06, 2008

A 58-year-old man died of cardiac arrest after waiting 19 hours in the emergency room, the Dallas Morning News reported Monday.

Mike Herrera, who helped his family start a chain of restaurants, went to Parkland Memorial Hospital just after 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 19 complaining of a stabbing sensation in his stomach.

There were 164 people ahead of him. Another 180 new patients would walk through the ER doors during the next 19 hours.

A surveillance video obtained by the Dallas Morning News showed that Herrera continued to wait in a chair, until 9:26 a.m. Saturday, when a physician finally ordered laboratory tests and an x-ray.

When Herrera’s sister arrived after noon, he went into cardiac arrest. Medical staff worked for more than two hours on him, but by 2:48 p.m. he was pronounced dead.

Parkland officials said they did everything possible to help Herrera – and even if he had been seen sooner, he may have been sent home.

A 2004 study on Parkland Memorial showed that more than one in 10 patients left the ER before seeing a doctor.

In the last four years, that ratio increased to one in five. Parkland officials said the hospital simply does not have enough beds.

Herrera’s autopsy concluded that Herrera died of clogged arteries. Diabetes and morbid obesity also played contributing factors, but Herrera’s family strongly believes he could have survived if he had been treated sooner.

“The guy wasn’t going to die anyway,” the family’s attorney Robert Hinton told the newspaper. “And even if he were going to die sometime soon, you shouldn’t make him go through that misery, and inflect that misery on the entire family while he dies in front of you.”

Click here to read the full story from the Dallas Morning News. http://www.obscurestore.com/

And how much better will socialized medicine make this?

Ok so there were 164 people ahead of him. I'd love to know how many of those 164 had problems more severe than a freaking heart attack.

I wonder how many of those 344 patients were illegals....

nharrold said:

I wonder how many of those 344 patients were illegals....

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Probably about 325...

nharrold said:

I wonder how many of those 344 patients were illegals....

Click to expand...

Bingo.

Parkland is the county hospital and they can't turn anyone away. I am sure that many of the people waiting were illegals and many were just the poor that couldn't get care at another hospital.

This guy (Mike) was a very good friend (schoolmate) of my first husband. The family owned restaurant, which we frequented quite a bit in the 70s-80s, was very good, better than average Mexican food. He ate too much of the home cooking, as he had tons of health problems from beng obese.

This obesity being Mike's fault is no excuse for that treatment he did/did not receive. I recall in 1971 when I had a severe allergic reaction to penicillin, my first husband refused to take me to Parkland as he said I would die waiting there. Instead, we went across the street to the good hospital, I think it was St. Paul's, where there were no people waiting in emergency.

I had insurance, so I am alive.

Parkland is for very critical care and best for auto crashes, burns, stabbing and such. It is horrible for walk in emergencies.

Of course we don't really have the whole story, but it sounds like he went in complaining of bad stomach pain - which is not a typical heart attack symptom, and that would explain the long wait. If he were having chest pains when he first arrived, I'm sure they would have examined him much faster.

Medical care or lack thereof is a situation in the U.S. that is only going to get worse. If you have medical or DENTAL issues, NOW IS THE TIME to get care. Think you can’t afford it now? Wait until your medical condition gets worse and you are stuck in an ER behind a line of screaming, moaning people who don’t speak English waiting for hospital admin types who don’t want to talk to you. Recent ER experience in Phoenix in what a very short time ago was an excellent hospital brought it home to my wife and I.

A major part of prepping now is keeping ourselves in the best possible condition and health. The medical system is collapsing all around us. Decent care now is a blessing. Soon decent care will be a miracle. Too many patients. Not enough resources.

Sooth

ChickenLittle said:

I'm sure they would have examined him much faster.

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Dont bet the farm on that. Parkland is good for several things. ER service is not one of them. If you dont arrive on a gurney with a major trauma you dont want to be in the emergency room.

Mike Herrera obviously had enough money to go to a decent hospital and should have left and gone to Methodist. At least they dont kill you quite as often in the ER there.

Missy

I'm really sorry for the loss of your husband's friend Dimensiondancer.

Wasn't Parkland the hospital where they took JFK?

/thread drift off

Yes, but I don't think he had to wait in the ER!

nharrold said:

I wonder how many of those 344 patients were illegals....

Click to expand...

I thought the same thing.

He had a hernia break through his abdomen. Video showed him up moving around, getting sodas, etc, you could see the bulge outline through his shirt (he had been playing golf). That being said, it was also a Friday night at 5pm when Mike got there -- illegals do not come out until after 5pm to hospitals. I don't doubt others should have been seen after Mike, especially with his health history and besides he had the cash to pay his bill. Unlike others.