Postal worker said he was pressured to perform CPR on possible overdosing woman

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This article was published 25/05/2017 (3085 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg mailman who happened upon an unconscious women earlier this week and felt pressured into performing CPR serves as a good reminder that when it comes to safety, you need to put yourself first.

Corey Gallagher, 30, was delivering mail in an apartment on Eric Street at Beliveau Road when he came upon a woman with purple fingertips and whose eyes looked to have rolled back. He tried to make noise, then started to call to her, then started shaking her. At some point, Gallagher noticed white powder on her shirt, possible evidence of an overdose on a dangerous drug such as fentanyl. When he got no response, Gallagher says he called 911.

He was on the phone with a dispatcher who transferred him to a paramedic. This is where Gallagher’s memory — caught up in the concern and adrenaline of the moment — gets fuzzy. He can’t remember whether he told the operator or the paramedic there was evidence of possible fentanyl use.

If he had, that would have warranted a pause, especially after news this week three city police officers had to self-administer the overdose-antidote drug naloxone after potentially being exposed to the opiate during a traffic stop.

“I told him, ‘She’s not breathing,’” Gallagher recounted of his conversation with the paramedic, who pushed him to perform CPR.

“I don’t think he understood the situation fully,” the postal worker said, unclear if he had told the paramedic about the possible fentanyl and was being told to carry on regardless or if he had told the operator, who failed to tell the paramedic.

However, Gallagher said, “It wasn’t until the end that he asked me if I had gloves.”

“I think he could have been putting me in danger,” he said.

Although Gallagher didn’t want to take the risk without the appropriate precautions, he said the paramedic pushed him to perform chest compressions (not mouth-to-mouth).

“In my mind, he was quite forceful,” Gallagher said, “He tried quite a few times (to persuade him to do CPR). I’d say, ‘I can’t do it,’ and he non-stop repeated to, ‘Put your hands together and push on top of the breastplate.’”

It went on, and Gallagher became increasingly stressed.

“I kept wondering, ‘Am I wrong? Am I overreacting? Am I too worried about this?’”

According to New York-based public safety expert Bill McDonald, the short answer is no.

“The first thing that first responders have to remember is scene safety,” said McDonald, who has two decades of experience in emergency operations including as a paramedic and was connected to the Free Press through the Expert Institute (www.theexpertinstitute.com).

“Essentially,” he said, “no civilian should do anything that they’re not comfortable with.”

A spokesperson for the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service denied there was any inappropriate pressure exerted on Gallagher, saying after a review of the call it was determined it was “handled in accordance with the established standards.”

However, the spokesperson sympathized with the situation, saying “medical emergencies can be distressing for those involved.” She said Gallagher is invited to meet with officials to discuss the call and can file a formal complaint.

But with opioid use an increasing public health concern, McDonald said its important people know how to protect themselves. That’s especially true given most people don’t typically happen upon an injured person with the same personal protective equipment — gloves, mask, eye protection — a first responder would.

In the recent case of the three police officers responding to the scene of a car crash, a police spokesperson said they all self-administered naloxone kits after feeling “effects consistent with fentanyl contamination.” All three were taken to the hospital and have since been released, while a substance retrieved from the suspect’s car is being tested.

For people such as Gallagher who don’t carry masks or naloxone, McDonald said its important to only do what you’re comfortable with even if you have a 911 dispatcher in your ear advising CPR.

“Even if it’s the best thing for the patient, if you don’t feel comfortable because there appears to be some kind of safety issue, you shouldn’t be doing it,” McDonald said.

That line of thinking, however, was countered by Dr. Joss Reimer, medical director of health with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. In the case of the powerful opioid fentanyl, short-term skin contact is not enough to cause an overdose, she said. Breathing in or ingesting the drug, however, “would be concerning,” and any suspect substances should be left undisturbed for experts to later handle.

“If someone is overdosing, the risk to a bystander is incredibly low. I would never say zero… but it’s very low,” Reimer said. “As a physician, knowing what I know about fentanyl, I would not hesitate to provide care to somebody where I suspected an overdose — especially in Winnipeg, where the emergency response times are three to six minutes” and fully equipped help is on the way.

Neither Gallagher nor police could say what ultimately happened to the woman.