A MAN declared dead at his home in the province of Tarragona was on his way to the funeral parlour when he turned out to be alive, according to police sources.
The patient, 64, was found collapsed in his flat in Riudecanyes, and firefighters had to break in so paramedics could get to him.
Ambulances in Catalunya's regional Medical Emergencies Service (SEM) fleet (photo: SEM/Wikimedia Commons)
A doctor from the Medical Emergency Service (SEM) examined him and certified him as biologically dead.
This means no brain activity, which is irreversible – unlike 'clinically dead', which means no heartbeat or breathing, and is effectively cardiac arrest.
A clinically-dead person may be 'brought back to life' if CPR is successful, but a biologically-dead person will not respond to this or any other treatment or action and, at most, can only be kept 'alive' by artificial breathing and circulatory apparatus.
As the man, who reportedly had a history of alcohol addiction, was declared biologically dead, no CPR was carried out.
Shortly after, a coroner was called in and funeral directors summoned.
The coroner arrived first and, on closer inspection, found the 'deceased' was still breathing – but only just, and with great difficulty.
A mobile intensive care unit was brought in, and medics managed to stabilise the patient before rushing him to hospital.
No update has been given on his situation, so he is believed to still be alive and in the ICU.
Local Police always attend the scene whenever an ambulance is called out, not just when foul play is suspected – the reason being that they are normally on the doorstep and able to get there within a matter of minutes, enabling them to start first aid if the ambulance is delayed.
Patrol cars are fitted with defibrillators and officers are trained in CPR, meaning death as a direct result of an ambulance getting there late is very rare.
Officers who attended the Riudecanyes apartment have notified the duty judge as standard procedure, but will not take any further action unless the patient or his next of kin file an official complaint.
In situations like this, it is normal for the paramedic service to launch an in-house inquiry, police explain, so the SEM is expected to do so whether or not it believes an avoidable medical error was committed.
