By Walter F. Roche Jr.
The Pittsburgh Tribune Review
McKEESPORT, Pa. —Relatives of a McKeesport man who died two years ago filed a lawsuit charging that an ambulance crew declined to bring him to a hospital because a paramedic concluded he was hyperventilating and just having an anxiety attack.
The lawsuit was filed last week in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court on behalf of the estate of David A. Eiler, 52, who was pronounced dead at UPMC McKeesport on Oct. 27, 2008. He was survived by two children, Mark Eiler of McKeesport and Elizabeth Eiler of Pittsburgh.
The lawsuit names the McKeesport Area Rescue Service, claiming the unnamed paramedic “concluded that his condition was anxiety related and noted a diagnosis of hyperventilation.” Also named as a defendant is UPMC McKeesport.
William Miller, executive director of McKeesport Rescue, said Tuesday he was not aware of the lawsuit and could not comment. UPMC did not respond to a request for comment.
“The paramedics knew or should have known that Mr. Eiler’s condition warranted immediate attention,” the lawsuit states, adding that the paramedic failed to inform Eiler of the potential seriousness of his symptoms. “Mr. Eiler was informed that his condition did not warrant immediate attention and he was, therefore, not transported to the hospital.”
The lawsuit charges that immediately after the paramedic left, Eiler called a friend and told him the ambulance crew had refused to transport him. The friend rushed to Eiler’s home and found him with no pulse.
Following a second 911 call, Clairton firefighters brought him to UPMC McKeesport, the lawsuit states. He was pronounced dead nearly two hours after he first called 911.
According to the complaint, an autopsy performed on Eiler found that he had a pulmonary embolism, or a blood clot in the lungs, and coronary artery disease.
The lawsuit charges that, prior to the ambulance call, Eiler sought treatment at UPMC McKeesport and was a patient there for three days but physicians failed to recognize signs of a pulmonary embolism, despite his persistent chest pain, and sent him home.
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