Phoenix FD are a damned good bunch. OTOH, everyone screws up sometimes and when lives are at stake there’s no “well, better luck next time.” You review the incident mercilessly and make sure that if something similar happens again it’s because you did everything possible to prevent it and sometimes you fail.
ER is not going to cut you any slack at all if your patient arrives following a reletively minor injury with aspirated vomitus, followed by a protracted admission, probably pneumonia or even asphyxia. Lungs are sensitive, the passages and alveoli clog up very easily, and stomach contents are incredibly irritating not to mention loaded with particulates.
We are trained to avoid the possibility. Full stop. I’m only a volunteer and have been fortunate enough to only work two fatalities. One bled out internally while waiting for transport and the other had jello for his forebrain when he arrived at Barrows – but he arrived there warm, pink, and with every freaking transplantable organ in top condition, lungs included despite vomiting for as long as there was anything to vomit. So, yeah – you don’t take the chance.
