Emergency Medical Services workers in Austin, Texas are investigating an alleged incident in which a paramedic poured blood on a high school student's leg during a lesson on drunk driving, the Austin American-Statesman reports.
The alleged incident occurred on March 9 at St. David's Round Rock Medical Center in Austin, Tex., where students from Vandegrift High School had traveled as part of a program called "Shattered Dreams," an initiative aimed at teaching kids about the dangers of drunk driving by dramatizing a crash using real sirens, emergency responders and even someone dressed as the Grim Reaper.
During one role-playing scenario, a paramedic asked a female student to pretend to be a patient, and then proceeded to pour blood on her leg to simulate a wound, according to the paper. An EMS director told reporters that the blood was intended to be used a prop during the event, and was donated from the hospital. Although it's generally used for transfusions, this particular bag was past its expiration date.
"Although this blood had undergone dozens of tests and was verified as completely clean, there was no reason that a student participant should have come in physical contact with human blood during the course of the simulation," Emergency Medical Services Director Ernie Rodriguez said in a statement Monday. "This action is something that the hospital does not condone, and hospital representatives took prompt action."
Rodriguez added that he doesn't have "any doubt this medic knew [the blood] was real," the Austin American-Statesman reports, but declined to name the paramedic involved because the investigation is still ongoing. The medic could face disciplinary action, and the student involved in the incident has not undergone testing due to exposure from the blood.
See a scene from the "Shattered Dreams" program, below:
Paramedic poured human blood onto student's leg, officials say
Shattered Dreams: High school program dramatizes effects of drinking and driving
Accident simulation involves human blood
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Posted: 03/27/2012 4:36 pm Updated: 03/27/2012 4:36 pm