SAN DIEGO — A man claims the batteries of a defibrillator were not charged, which contributed to the unsuccessful resuscitation of his wife.
Ricshell Bunton said he performed CPR and called 911 around 4:30 a.m. when his 59-year-old wife Patricia Donahue, who had a heart condition and emphysema, went into cardiac arrest.
San Diego Fire-Rescue paramedics responded, and Bunton told CBS8 he heard a conversation where one medic said to another, “the battery is dead, I need another battery.”
Bunton believes they were talking about a battery for the defibrillator.
San Diego Medical Director James Dunford called Bunton to discuss the incident. Dunford also told CBS that the intraosseous vascular access system used to administer drugs malfunctioned.
“The discussion of a battery fail seems to be confused by family members,” Dunford said.
He said Donahue “flatlined” and the EZ-IO device stopped drilling half way through the bone. A paramedic drilled manually while another medic when to get another drill out of the ambulance.
Dunford said it caused a two-minute delay, and that it didn’t contribute to Donahue’s death.
“I don’t believe that in any way affected the outcome in this case,” he said.
Bunton disagrees.
“They [paramedics] weren’t prepared to do their job for my wife so she could survive,” he said.
The drill has been tested and while the battery works it stops in the middle of a procedure. It’s been sent to manufacturer for review.
Donahue’s cause of death is pending.