Wednesday, May 21, 2003

I had the opportunity to investigate a similar death here in Massachusetts. Research in commotio cordis (sudden blows to the chest resulting in electrical disruption) revealed an almost 100 percent mortality rate, even in instances where paramedics witnessed the event.

There is almost nothing that prehospital providers can do to reverse the damage, and rapid transport is probably the best thing that they could have done.

I don't know the particulars of the underlying heart rhythm but ventricular fibrillation is not always present and defibrillators only work when v-fib or v-tachycardia are present.

The public thinks that defibrillators are magic and will bring everyone back from the dead, when it just isn't true. Even when v-fib is present, defibrillation doesn't always work.

EMTs and paramedics are trained to save lives and when a child dies we are affected by that tragedy as deeply as anyone else. In fact, pediatric deaths often lead EMTs to give up their calling.

I hope that the family of this child and the EMTs who treated him receive counseling to help them through this difficult time.

Paul Coffey

Paul.Coffey@state.ma.us