Should I feel bad if a meth user dies on the floor of an Emergency room floor?

Question

I did not put that recreational drug in their hand.

Answer 1

if a meth user dies on the floor of a ER , or walking down the street , it should be a valuable reminder to all the dangers of drugs . am i upset over her death NO , as i see it one less drug addicted idiot we have to deal with

Answer 2

I guess it depends on what is making you ask the question.

Did you just "let them die" because your coffee break wasn't quite over - or was there effectively nothing you could reasonably have done for them without either breaking health & safety OR queue jumping other equally critical cases?

Would you have done anything differently if this person was dying from something "not of their own doing" ?

To some degree whether you should - or should not - feel bad is almost academic - it is what you ARE feeling that matters.

Most emergency service staff - police, fire, medics - will all see people die in front of them sooner or later, very few people remain completely unaffected.

Apart from the obligations of your position to try and preserve life where possible, personal values and beliefs get mixed up in the pot - and it is only human to make value judgements. they are rarely helful but they ARE natural.

A 7 year old girl dying because she has been shot by mistake is likely to tug the heartstrings more than a 48 year old mugger who fell on his own switchblade. Both are human, both want to live, we just have (understandably) different "values" that we tend to place on them.

So, going back to your question, it depends hugely on what makes you feel that you "might need to feel bad". Either way, see if there is anything to learn from the experience - either to go the extra mile when you can - OR to accept that sometimes people will pay the consequences of their actions - even if that means the ultimate price.

If you have the option to chat with a colleague that you trust, then perhaps asking their persepctive on things might be interesting - or perhaps talking things through with whatever "counsellor type" person the service employs for the staff?

Mark

Answer 3

Sure - just on road trips around the Southwest, I've been from Tucson to Tucumcari, Tehachapi to Tonopah (Little Feat, Linda Ronstadt); stood on the corner in Winslow Arizona (Eagles); and gone through Saint Looey, Joplin, Missouri, and Oklahoma City is mighty pretty. You see Amarillo, Gallup, New Mexico, Flagstaff, Arizona, don't forget Winona, Kingman, Barstow, San Bernandino (Route 66, various). As long as I'm on this roll, Galveston, oh Galveston (Glen Campbell), plus I've seen miles and miles of Texas (Asleep at the Wheel). All the way to Reno (REM); and I've had many opportunities to just roll around Denver all day (Warren Zevon).

Answer 4

if you are referring to the lady who died in the E.R. of king drew medical center in los Angele's, the death was caused from incompetent medical staff at the hospital and medical conditions which could affect anyone. the way this woman was allowed to die while seeking medical attention at a hospital for the SECOND time in the same day, is inexcusable and someone needs to have their professional license revoked for life and sent to prison. king drew medical center has a long history of problems and was all but closed down by the state and the medical board. they have received countless fines and have been cited numerous times for violations by J.A.H.C.O. if this is not the person in question, just remember that drug addiction (as deplorable as it may be) is still a sickness and that person laying dead on the floor was once a live human being with a heart and a soul and is or was quite possibly the most important person in the world to someone. there is nothing casual about the loss of a human life.

Answer 5

First off, the lady you are referring to had a perforated bowel, not drug addiction.

But let's say I accept your premise. You can't help their addiction or life choices. ...But if their death was avoidable through doctor or hospital action, then we as a society should care that the healthcare system which has as one of it's tenets "no one dies on our watch" failed.

By the way, if you watch the news, you see the developing story here in deeper context: this particular hospital has tons of infractions and fails many many people within the community. Not just alleged drug addicts. that's why we should care.

Answer 6

Are you talking about the lady in LA who died at the ER? I think you should feel fear. Someday, you might be the ill person looking for help who is ignored. Someday you might find yourself poor or appearing poor and ignored while you writhe in pain until you die. I think you should fear because we have personnel in hospitals in this world who choose to roll their eyes at people they feel are of a lower social position in life, yell at them to "get off the floor", mop up the blood they are puking and still refuse to help. I think all society should feel fear when any human is treated as disposable. Those hospital professionals were more interested in sending a dying woman to jail because she was an inconvenience than they were in saving her life. That is scary.

Answer 7

No, it wasn't your choice and therefore you shouldn't feel bad, especially if the death was caused specifically by the drug. However if you were the 911 operator that didn't help them when help was requested... then maybe you should feel guilty for that.
Granted they were at a hospital... but if no one was helping her, I would have called the hospital to find out why they weren't assisting a patient within their hospital. It is their liability, and I can't belive all the infractions they have had haven't gotten them in deeper trouble.

Answer 8

You shouldn't feel happiness, but you certainly shouldn't feel bad. What, aer you the doctor, or a friend... a friend could've prevented it by persuading him/her not to take the drug in the first place if they were aware s/he was about to use it... a doctor can't prevent the death if the damage is already done, but we know, s/he will try their hardest.

Answer 9

We all feel sympathy for any person who passes away. It is natural. What a shame a life was taken because of drugs.

Having said that, I wouldn't belabor the issue. Move on in your thoughts.

Answer 10

If you are feeling like you could have done something to prevent it from happening then the answer is likely no. You should feel compassion for the loss of life, but do not feel guilty over the issue.