Coronavirus patient in New York died because her ventilator was turned up too high by trainee doctors who did not know how to work it, medic claims

New York City doctors in residence have said that coronavirus patients are dying while they being made to work on intensive care units with no prior training in the field.

In March, one woman in her 60s died at Montefiore hospital in the Bronx after her ventilator was turned up to high, residents told the Wall Street Journal. 

Trainees at Elmhurst in Brooklyn said that patients had passed away after being left floundering for days because they were not assigned to a team.

Although many are required to work in emergency medicine as part of their training, family medicine, diagnostic radiology, podiatry, psychiatry and ophthalmology residents do not have experience in critical care. 

In March, a woman in her 60s died at Montefiore hospital in Bronx, New York after her ventilator was turned up to high by two family medicine residents

In an April email to the Elmhurst CEO, residents complained patients had died after being left floundering for days because they were not assigned to a team

A critical care physician in charge of Montefiore's 36-bed unit rushed into the room when a woman's heart stopped last month. 

When she asked the two family medicine residents taking care of her whether they knew how to work the ventilator settings, they replied no and that they were only just getting to grips with it, according to residents who spoke to the Wall Street Journal. 

The publication reported that residents are unlikely to refuse the responsibility as it could jeopardize their chances of getting a job and they lacked the support of a union.

WSJ also noted that residents are often paid just above minimum wage and that some at another hospital who had asked for hazard raises due to them exposing themselves to COVID-19 have been denied and criticized.

At New York-Presbyterian/Columbia, a first year student expressed concern about having to work 'as an MD, a nurse, a respiratory therapist, and a janitor all at once.'

The resident wrote in an April email that they felt the patients, whose ventilator settings they were trying to manage, were being treated as 'guinea pigs.'

Doctor Rita Morales, a psychiatrist who volunteered to help amid the pandemic said she had to get the help of another resident when she was thrown into operating a breathing machine first thing at the hospital. 

'My initial reaction was shock and kind of thinking I can't do this. I was immediately put to go manage a ventilator,' she told the WSJ.

At New York-Presbyterian/Columbia, a first year student expressed concern about having to work 'as an MD, a nurse, a respiratory therapist, and a janitor all at once'

The hospital said that the residents are overseen by senior residents and senior residents are overseen by attending physicians.

At Elmhurst, 44 residents sent an email to CEO Dr. Katz complaining that patients had died because they'd been left floundering with no 'progress notes or team assignment'.

They noted many had died because their blood oxygen levels were not being monitored.

The CEO replied that he didn't expect the residents to be doing thorough medical histories or charting but only to give patients oxygen until they develop an immune response.

He added that 'those who don't develop their own immune response will not survive no matter what.'

Spokesman, Christopher Miller, said: 'Residents do not make decisions on their own without an attending [physician] concurring and signing off.'