Woman Dies of Heart Attack in ER Waiting Room
Beatrice Vance of Waukegan, IL arrived at the emergency room of Vista Medical Center East at 10:15 pm on July 28 complaining of chest pains. After sitting in the waiting room for more than two hours, she was found unconscious and without a pulse. At 2 a.m., she was pronounced dead of a heart attack because of a blocked artery.
Deputy Coroner Robert Barrett said Beatrice Vance’s symptoms should have alerted hospital personnel to administer an electrocardiogram, conduct cardiac monitoring, and administer blood thinners and other medications. None of this was done in time. The coroner’s jury ruled Ms. Vance’s death a homicide.
There are two issues at stake here. One, was Beatrice Vance’s symptoms belittled because she was a woman? Many studies have found that women receive a lower quantity and quality of cardiac healthcare.
Two, Ms. Vance and her daughter, Monique, probably should have called an ambulance when they decided she needed medical attention. Emergency medical technicians have the training and equipment to give immediate treatment for heart attacks. If at any time you experience the symptoms of a heart attack, call an ambulance. Do NOT drive yourself to the hospital.
Chicago Tribune, September 15, 2006
Photo credit: PingNews.com
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POSTED IN: Heart Disease in Women, Hearty Healthcare, Hearty Info, Hearty News
27 opinions for Woman Dies of Heart Attack in ER Waiting Room
A Hearty Life » Heart-to-Heart #19: Free Republic
Sep 17, 2006 at 1:49 pm
[…] ER Nurse 60Gunner at the Free Republic forum agrees with my assessment of Beatrice Vance’s death from a heart attack while waiting more than two hours in the emergency room of her local hospital. The moral of this story for the nurses who read this is: chest pain + shortness of breath + nausea = heart attack until proven otherwise. […]
Judy
Sep 17, 2006 at 3:11 pm
AFAIK, the standard practice at all local ER’s in my area is an EKG and cardiac labs on virtually anyone who presents with chest pain. You might sit in the waiting room after that, but the triage nurse gets your EKG and labs. Definitely best to call 911, but that shouldn’t make any difference once you actually make it to the ER.
Lee
Sep 18, 2006 at 12:17 pm
Oh, it matters. A year ago, my husband took me to the hospital at 2:30 in the afternoon. My EKG didn’t show anything abnormal. They put me in the waiting room till a doctor could see me. I left of my own volition at 9:30 p.m., I was NEVER seen by anyone, and persistently told, that it “wasn’t” my turn yet. I was having “indigestion” and could hardly walk 3 yards because of extreme shortness of breath.
I was put in the hospital the next morning for tests after calling my family doctor, and was given a pharmacological stress test, which showed a serious blockage. Had a cardiac angio and they put in a stent, I was lucky, the doctors were very sure I was never going to make it to the cath lab before I had a heart attack, by someone was watching over me, for sure.
CALL AND AMBULANCE!! I know I will the next time.
Shirley
Sep 18, 2006 at 5:35 pm
I’d agree to call an ambulance; however, please do not presume that EMTs “have the training … to give immediate treatment for heart attacks.” In my case, they did not. I am female and was 40 years old at the time. Despite several symptoms (shortness of breath, nausea, unbearable pain, almost passing out several times) and my stating on the 911 call that I believed I was having a heart attack, they never even took an EKG. I did get a ride to the hospital, where I was left in the hallway (the hospital then broke protocol by not attending to me right away). Once the hospital to around to hooking me up, they discovered I was having a massive MI - LAD was 100% blocked. My cardiologist tells me I’m lucky to be alive (actually, “miracle” was the word he used).
My deepest sympathies to Ms. Vance’s family. Perhaps through their tragedy and others’ stories being unveiled, these incidents will be stopped.
Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD
Sep 18, 2006 at 5:47 pm
Judy: Sounds like your area hospitals have their act together.
Lee: Thanks for sharing your experience! I’m so glad you’re ok now. Sometimes our personal physicians know us so much better and can tell when something’s really wrong. Another reason to go for regular check-ups and develop that patient-doctor relationship!
Shirley: Your story gave me the chills! I think we women really must insist that we are not having panic attacks and truly need attention. I hope that by connecting in places like A Hearty Life, we can help each other become educated in case we or our family members develop heart problems. All the best!
A Hearty Life » Taking Care of a Loved One After a Heart Attack
Sep 19, 2006 at 6:12 am
[…] If someone had followed his/her instincts, perhaps Beatrice Vance would still be with us today. […]
J. Peden
Sep 27, 2006 at 3:01 am
One of my daughters is an R.N. in a Family Practice office across the street from the Hospital. About a week ago an older man showed up and wanted his ears washed out. But they were busy, and he had no appointment. So he walked across the street to the E.R. where he knew they had to see him, arrested there at the desk and died.
I did E.R. for about 28 years and thought I was quite lucky that no one I saw for one thing walked out into the parking lot and died from another. So you do get some weird coincidences, too.
But I keep hearing these stories of people with obvious CAD symptoms which are ignored. By this time at least anyone in an E.R. practice should know that all bets are off on age and sex when it comes to acute coronary events. I’ve always known it. So what is really the problem?
In “my” E.R. even the ward clerks knew it. They’d bring the person with “chest pain” or shortness of breath right in to the treatment area before they even started the check-in paperwork. A nurse would jump on it and everything would be almost done or ordered before the M.D. could even get there, including a heparin lock i.v.. And at least you could often see it being done and eyeball the patient right off.
Something very strange is apparently going on in too many E.R.’s.
A Hearty Life » Grand Rounds 3(1) at Tech Medicine
Sep 27, 2006 at 3:12 am
[…] I submitted my post about Beatrice Vance, who died of a heart attack in an emergency department’s waiting room in July. Other bloggers voiced their opinions as well. […]
Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD
Sep 27, 2006 at 3:35 am
J. Peden: Thank you for sharing your experience with us. One thing that bears reminding is that for every tragedy like Beatrice Vance’s death, there are many more lives saved by dedicated medical professionals like you and your daughter.
Laura, RN, BSN
Oct 12, 2006 at 4:01 am
I’ve been an ER nurse for 6 years now. To J. Peden and the rest, yes, there are strange things going on in ER’s around the country. Don’t like the long wait time? Write your congressman! It’s the law that says we must see everything that comes in, including the illegals who bring their babies in at 2am for a boogerectomy. No insurance? Come to the ER, where health care is free. Can’t access your own veins anymore because of years and years of heroin and cocaine abuse? Come to the ER. Get high for free as we insert an EJ or PICC line or even a central line so we can treat your “pain” with the latest and greates clean, regulated opiate narcotics–as many mg as you want. Your latest hit of crack and meth cocktail got you freaked out? Come to the ER and tie up a bed for hours and hours so you can enjoy your trip and have a safe landing . . . and a Percocet sandwhich before you leave. Can’t pay your rent? Kid won’t behave? Need an oil change and tires rotated? A shower and a sandwhich? Eat whatever you want–pack on the pounds! Go ahead! No need to eat right and exercise; why, that would infringe on your rights. We’ll manage your diabetes for you. Come to the ER. Service with a smile. My heart goes out to the Vance family. But please, let’s reserve our judgement of her treatment until the full story is made available. I can’t imagine that someone who presented with those symptoms was brushed off without so much as an ECG. Unfortunately, Ms. Vance is not the first, nor will she be the last, to die in an ER waiting room.
Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD
Oct 13, 2006 at 10:25 am
Laura: Thank you for your heartfelt comment. You have one of the toughest jobs I can imagine. It must be incredibly frustrating to work in an imperfect healthcare system. Don’t forget to take care of yourself in addition to your patients. All the best!
A Hearty Life » Misdiagnosing Heart Attacks
Oct 25, 2006 at 10:59 pm
[…] After Beatrice Vance died of a undiagnosed heart attack in the waiting room of her local emergency department this past summer, the coroner’s jury ruled her death a homicide. But hers was not an isolated case. USA Today has an in-depth article featuring James Pettry who died of a heart attack the day after being sent home from the emergency room. […]
very sad
Nov 28, 2006 at 5:54 pm
i to had a very similar outcome my sister went to the emergency room triage nurse made a judgemental statement that my sister was anxious and demanding to be seen c/o of chest pain. ekg show changes however the md did not draw cardiac labs however she had a ct of her stomach show nothing sent her home. she came back 12 hours later but then it was to late she die. and the really sad thing most of all she went to a heart hospital. very sad
Genetics and Health » Genetics Interview #27: Kim McAllister of Emergiblog
Dec 7, 2006 at 7:35 pm
[…] 1. A couple of months ago, I posted about Beatrice Vance at my heart disease blog, A Hearty Life. Ms. Vance had died in the waiting room of her local emergency department despite experiencing symptoms of a heart attack. Quite a heated discussion followed in the comments where various nurses weighed in. What’s your take on Beatrice Vance’s death and the way emergency rooms are generally run when patients come through the door? […]
A Hearty Life » Thoughts From ER Nurse Kim McAllister of Emergiblog
Dec 7, 2006 at 7:42 pm
[…] You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Related Posts: Grand Rounds 3(4) at EmergiblogNorthern Ireland’s HeartNurse: Angela McBrienGrand Rounds 3(2) at RDoctor MedicalHeart-to-Heart #9: Cub MommyResults of A Hearty Life Poll: Are you an organ donor? […]
A Hearty Life » A Hearty Life in 2006
Jan 11, 2007 at 11:34 am
[…] September 2006 - Woman Dies of Heart Attack in ER Waiting Room (This post stirred up quite a debate as to what patients can expect in Emergency Departments.) […]
Chamma
Apr 5, 2007 at 7:25 pm
A very similar situation happened to me. I started having a throbbing pain in my right chest. My husband rushed me to the ER and we waited. Waited 10 minutes at the desk. Waited another 5 minutes before someone was free to do the EKG. The EKG was done incorrectly because the tech had the chest leads up by my neck on a 12 lead. We then waited another 4 hours to be seen by the doctor, all the while in extreme pain. No one bothered to check on me and my husband’s demands for help were brushed off.
It is obvious I was not having a cardiac event, because I am still here. However, with all these protocols the ERs supposedly have, why did no one take a blood sample? Why did no one even bother to check on me? I can see how this poor woman died in the ER.
You medical people talking about all your troubles, BS! You are not the one dying while waiting for treatment. What kind of professionals are you? If someone has chest pains, there are established protocols to follow.
My husband went to a different ER with a sudden pain in his leg. Before he could show his ID, they had him connected to an EKG. While they were attaching the stickers, blood was drawn. Within 15 minutes of the EKG they had him getting an ultrasound of the aorta and the leg blood vessels. Yes, it turned out that somehow he had a sprain, but this is an example of how things are supposed to work. You people have a responsibility to the patients.
Hopefully, after the ruling of homicide, whomever was responsible will be tried by a jury of their peers.
Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD
Apr 6, 2007 at 12:40 am
Chamma: Thanks for sharing your story. I hope neither you nor your husband have to make another trip to the ER anytime soon!
opine
Jun 6, 2007 at 5:24 am
I am an emergency physician trained at a top institution in this country. Although the events that sparked this discussion are unfortunate, it is impossible for health care workers to evaluate every single patient with a ‘possible angina’ within 10 minutes. Some patients have even learned the game of alleging chest pain to get faster attention, then changing their complaint after evaluation. Triage is performed by a human being, and as a reasonable but fallible decision maker, you make some people wait. Threatening those that have committed their lives to medicine with jail time is not gonna change anything, except drive more people out of medicine. Perhaps limiting unneccessary use of the ER would leave room for the truly sick.
Lacybeauty
Jun 14, 2007 at 1:30 pm
I am a Nurse Practitioner and prior to becoming a NP I worked in ER for about 7 years, Icu for 8 years prior to that. Every ER has a standard of care. No matter the age, chest pain requires an EKG and “immediate” evaluation by the ER physician. You can not look at an 18 year old and rule out cocaine use or a pneumothorax! You cannot look at a 38 year old and rule out IV drug abuse and endocarditis. You cannot look at a 42 year old and rule out extensive cardiac disease due to bad genes!
ER is a dumping ground for all ailments! The public needs to realize, just like welfare, there is a rating table of how emergent your complaint may be. Training staff appropriately on standards of care eliminates disparities in care. Lets face it. chest pain and vomiting blood ranks higher than a tooth ache and a broken ankle!
michelle
Jun 15, 2007 at 4:54 pm
This is basically in response to a post from almost a year ago from Laura.I mean no disrespect,but I gather from your post with the way you were talking about all the different types of people and the problems they bring into the ER (when they don’t need an ER as you say ) just proves the point of SOME PLACES and PEOPLE who are there to provide medical care are not caring professional peopleand are only there for a paycheck.I personally cannot believe your post about someone bring their child in there for a boogerectomy,what if there was something really wrong with that child causing serious sickness or death even???It does not matter why people come there the people that work there are there for that reason and should take care of them when they do come there for help.After all how can you find out if those people are having emergency trama or something not so serious as you stated unless you follow protocal when they come in ???Please just do your jobs for everyone even the drug users (as you stated)you are not there to save SOME PEOPLE ,but to ATTEMPT to SAVE THEM ALL!!!!
Shana
Jun 16, 2007 at 8:12 am
I agree with you, Michelle. RE: Laura’s post. Not a caring professional by they way she’s coming across. I understand all that garb about the drug abusers and what not, but you have to stay objective and do the job you were trained to do, make intelligent decisions, following protocol and professional experience and previous education. You’re not being paid to make judgement, you’re being paid to use your training to take care of the sick and see to it that proper procedures are followed. I’m not a doctor, but common sense doesn’t appear to be found in the ER these days. Nor in some doctor’s offices. My sister died of myocarditis. She had high blood pressure, collapsed at work — thought she’d been plowed down by a forklift, went to her doctor and was told she had the flu, well she was found by her boyfriend in her bathtub cold and blue. He calls 911 only to find out she had a massive heartattack — several after the EKG, we found out. Her doctor previous to the last and final hours of her life, never ran and EKG despite her numbing fingers, high blood pressure etc. and she dies at the young age of 30 years old. She was a single parent with two children and it was horrible. I’m not saying it was the doctor’s that she died, but had he suggested routine tests based on her symptoms, I might have a sister today.
Jason Grant Garza
Aug 1, 2007 at 5:43 pm
I also have had extreme damage and even more by illegal and improper health care. You can read about my ER visit by doing a search on my name Jason Grant Garza. What is of the greatest concern is that what I have experienced and learned even after a settlement agreement admitting guilt. The hospital signed an agreement with the Office of Inspector General admitting liablity and guilt; however, to me their victim … there has never been remedy, restitution, or even an apology since that would be the correct thing to do … especially after being caught … except of coarse you have a “black heart” instead of a “red face.” What is extremely evil is that these are the professionals in charge of taking care of you! Define care, define professional, define duty. So if they didn’t have to do the correct legal thing before nor after an admission of guilt … why should they ever? And I’m suppose to trust ….
Daelani
Oct 9, 2007 at 10:13 am
Laura RN,
I dont understand why you grouped uninsured people in with drug addicts and such. Not everyone can afford insurance, thats no reason for us to not go to the ER when we have an emergency. The ER isnt just there to treat the insured, high income and rich. Yes the druggies and crackpots make things bad, but for everyone else its a necessity. Or would you rather we just all die off so your job will be easier?
Heather K
Jan 19, 2008 at 1:39 am
More woman have thyroid problems then men and this ALONE can cause heart attacks in women . Doctors need to realize this and give more heart care to woman too.
Jaymie
Mar 6, 2008 at 6:02 am
I think what she was saying is that you should complain to the Government. Everyone should be able to afford health insurance. Obviously on the weekend we all have to go to the ER when we have strep but during the week, it would help if everyone could go to their primary care physician. Also, people who get to go to the doctor for an annual check-up get tested for things like diabetes and cholesterol and thyroid problems which can then be managed rather than treated when they become acute.
lizzy
Jul 4, 2008 at 11:41 pm
I dont think people of low income should be put in the same catagory as drug addicts and crackheads. and even if someone comes in who has a drug problem that is no reason not to give them proper care just like everyone else who comes into the er. I guess its true some people are just there for the money and dont really care about the people they are supposed to be there treating!!!! I for one used to have a drug problem and when i tried to get of the drugs by myself the withdrawl symptoms almost killed me and if it was not for the people in the er when i got there who treated me despite my forward telling of the drug problem i would be dead. some people are just (removed for language) who like the money money money and it is wrong!!!!!
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