Kin: Woman Who Died On Flight Was Ignored

(AP)  American Airlines on Monday insisted it tried to help a passenger who died after complaining she couldn't breathe, and disputed the account of a relative who said that she was denied oxygen and that medical devices failed.

The airline said the oxygen tanks and a defibrillator were working and noted that several medical professionals on the flight, including a doctor, tried to save the passenger, Carine Desir, 44, who had heart disease.

"American Airlines, after investigation, has determined that oxygen was administered on the aircraft, and it was working, and the defibrillator was applied as well," airline spokesman Charley Wilson said Monday.

Desir had complained of not feeling well and being very thirsty on the Friday flight home from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after she ate a meal, according to Antonio Oliver, a cousin who was traveling with her and her brother, Joel Desir. A flight attendant gave her water, he said.

A few minutes later, Desir said she was having "trouble breathing" and asked for oxygen, but a flight attendant twice refused her request, Oliver said.

"Don't let me die," he recalled her saying.

He said other passengers aboard Flight 896 became agitated over the situation, and the flight attendant, apparently after phone consultation with the cockpit, tried to administer oxygen from a portable tank and mask, but the tank was empty.

Oliver said two doctors and two nurses were aboard and tried to administer oxygen from a second tank, which also was empty. Desir was placed on the floor, and a nurse tried CPR, Oliver said. A defibrillator, which he called a "box," also was applied but didn't function effectively, he said.

Oliver said he then asked for the plane to "land right away so I can get her to a hospital," and the pilot agreed to divert to Miami, 45 minutes away. But during that time Desir collapsed and died, Oliver said.

"Her last words were, 'I cannot breathe,"' he said.

There were 12 oxygen tanks on the plane and the crew checked them before the flight took off to make sure they were working, Wilson said. He said at least two were used on Desir.

The Federal Aviation Administration requires commercial flights to carry no fewer than two oxygen dispensers. The main goal of the rule is to have oxygen available in the event of a rapid cabin decompression, but it can also be used for other emergencies. It is up to the airlines to maintain the canisters.

Wilson said Desir's cousin flagged down a flight attendant and said the woman had diabetes and needed oxygen.

"The flight attendant responded, 'OK, but we usually don't need to treat diabetes with oxygen, but let me check anyway and get back to you."'

Wilson said the employee spoke with another flight attendant, and both went to Desir within one to three minutes.

"By that time the situation was worsening, and they immediately began administering oxygen," he said.

Wilson said the defibrillator was used but that the machine indicated Desir's heartbeat was too weak to activate the unit.

An automated external defibrillator delivers an electric shock to try to restore a normal heart rhythm if a a particular type of irregular heart beat is detected. The machines cannot help in all cases.

Wilson said three flight attendants helped Desir, but "stepped back" after doctors and nurses on the flight began to help her.

"Our crew acted very admirably. They did what they were trained to do, and the equipment was working," he said.

Desir was pronounced dead by one of the doctors, Joel Shulkin, and the flight continued to John F. Kennedy International Airport, without stopping in Miami. The woman's body was moved to the floor of the first-class section and covered with a blanket, Oliver said.

Desir died of complications from heart disease and diabetes, said Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office.

Shulkin, through his attorney, Justin Nadeau, declined to comment on the incident.

FAA spokeswoman Alison Duquette said the agency was closely following the details of the incident.

[blessed1too]

To tflhaiti: I have been reading these insensitive comments and please know that I feel for you and your family and COMPLETELY believe your family member. The only person who THINKS someone would even plan to DIE on a plane to leave the family an opportunity to make money off of a lawsuit is CRAZY!! Who in the world thinks like this? Oh I got it... those on this post who are only concerned about the price of an airline ticket and the cost of having oxygen and med professionals... MONEY, MONEY, MONEY - forget life - you are the ones who would set up this kind of operation! WHATEVER - I am so disappointed with the way we treat one another in our society - it is sickening!!! This woman is dead people - show some respect and this VERY WELL COULD BE NEGLIGENCE - it isn''t impossible to find people who don''t want to do any more work than they have to (Flight Attendants INCLUDED). And that F--L who said she was Haitian, who cares... you are so filled with hate, I just hope ANYONE will help your ignorant behind if you ever have a need - AND YOU WILL!!!!! Such a silly comment, I hope it made you feel better about yourself!

[cgeller100]

even if the defibrilator and oxygen couldn''t have saved her, if the devices were indeed faulty there''s no excuse for this. I''m not surprised if this is true given the current state of the airlines, much of which is not their fault with oil prices being the way they are, however the devices should be checked before each flight just as the pilots do the preflight. Airports should have spares on hand they can provide the airline, and if it is determined they were faulty, AA should be fined (but no big lawsuits)

[cgeller100]

Flight attendants are often the only source of medical assistance ast 35,000 feet where any kind of medical facilities are often hours and hours away. It only stands to reason that they and pilots should have advanced training; it doesn''t mean they''re going to save everybody all the time, but given the millions of millions of people who fly each year, things are bound to happen from time to time, and it just makes good sense.

[cgeller100]

The airline should not be liable for any kind of monetary damage here, but it may shed light on the need for increased training

[cgeller100]

I think this needs to go before a medical review board of trained professionals. If in fact the flight attendants did not act appropriately, they should not be disciplined in this instance but it may shed to light that more thorough training in first aid and illnesses is required. Saying "we don''t give oxygen to diabetics" may indicate lack of sufficient training in how to handle these situations.

[pagirl6]

"I work at a medical facility and at even 12 liters per min those tanks should last 30 mins to 1 hr."....but it depends on the size of the tank (not the pressure of the tank) as well as the way administered & the flow rate. I notice a lot of people stating about Nasal Cannulas...yes at 2 lpm a small tank could last past 30 minutes, but a NRB sucks a tank down FAST.

"The thing that really gets to me is, just as soon as cpr was started the pilot should have set the plane down. It didn''''t need to be in a big city, small cities have fine EMS and hospital personnel that could have done advanced life support on this lady."...as someone in a rather rural area, yet close to a metropolitan area, there may have been great BLS/ALS & hospitals, but we have to consider the size of the plane as well because not all airports can handle all planes. I know our airfield just expanded, but probably wouldn''t have been able to handle it. Believe it or not, it may have been faster (and easier) to finish than to divert.

The duration of events during an emergency typically seems MUCH longer than they are in reality. 15 seconds can seem like an eternity. I''m not being crass, but the article just keeps talking about extended time before treatment, but it doesn''t give a specific amount of time.

[xlib]

gammawamma-ditto from a fellow nurse. This is just hype from the media to make the big, bad airline industry look libel. I think I may have seen dollar signs in the eyes of one of the family members.
There is no way in h&^l that any crew member would ignore a person hollering or even moaning for help.
What I see here is some more legislation being proposed from the left for whatever...
They did use the defib on her and if she didn''t have a decent enough rhythm in the first place they would get nothing.

[grammawhamma]

I''m a nurse and if the oxygen tank was working or not...this woman still would have died. Two or more liters of O2 per nasal cannula is worthless in this case. Perhaps being intubated and put on a ventilator would have helped, maybe not. But get real people...a commercial airline flight cannot have an intensive care unit built in it staffed with doctors and nurses.

[bkotarsk]

You do not give CPR to a person who has any kind of Heart Beat / Pulse You will Kill them.

[linfinster]

The thing that really gets to me is, just as soon as cpr was started the pilot should have set the plane down. It didn''''t need to be in a big city, small cities have fine EMS and hospital personnel that could have done advanced life support on this lady.
Posted by RANEKNIGHT at 08:22 PM : Feb 25, 2008

Lol, my city of 70,000 + doesn''t have an airstrip to accommodate a big plane. You don''t just, "set" every plane down.