Probe Follows New York EMT`s Death

February 24, 2008 -- Two paramedics have been placed on restricted duty after a fellow EMS worker went into cardiac arrest and died under their care, The Post has learned.

Initial reports suggest that an essential piece of equipment - an EKG monitor - may have malfunctioned at a critical moment, possibly contributing to the death of Pamela Walch earlier this month.

"Everybody's torn up about it because she's so well loved," said neighbor Mary Fairfax.

The two paramedics, who are not being named because they have not been accused of any wrongdoing, are restricted to non-medical work until an FDNY investigation is completed, sources said.

Questions about the paramedics' actions were raised by a Bronx EMS supervising physician after it was learned that EMT Walch went into cardiac arrest in the back of the ambulance en route to a Harlem hospital.

According to EMS documents, the 54-year-old woman started having difficulty breathing at around 8 p.m. on Feb. 8 in her Harlem home.

EMS dispatch got the call at 8:07 p.m., and the paramedic team - trained in advanced techniques often needed on critical calls - arrived at 8:14. A second team of EMTs also arrived.

The two paramedics found Walch responsive but in respiratory distress. In reports, they said they were unable to start an intravenous drip or intubate the patient to help her breathe.

They also said their EKG monitor - which would have identified the fatal arrhythmia afflicting Walch and delivered a corrective shock - failed to work, the documents say.

Approximately 17 minutes later, the paramedics brought Walch down to the street on a gurney and bundled her into an ambulance.

During the eight-minute journey to St. Luke's Hospital, Walch went into cardiac arrest and could not be revived. While the heart monitor failed to deliver its lifesaving shock, documents show it did reveal that she was in what is known as a "v-fib" rhythm - which can usually be corrected by most types of defibrillators.

FDNY sources said there were questions about the paramedics' decision to transport the patient before identifying the seriousness of her condition. There were also questions about why defibrillators carried by assisting firefighters and the second EMT team weren't brought into service.

The New York Post