9 News has obtained documents that indicate DC emergency workers may have violated their own procedures in their care of retired New York Times reporter David Rosenbaum.
Rosenbaum was robbed, beaten and left on a Northwest Washington sidewalk on Jan. 6.
The document is the patient evaluation form filled out by the DC firefighter who treated Rosenbaum at the scene and during the ride to Howard University Hospital.
The firefighter wrote that at two different times he evaluated Rosenbaum's GCS or Glascow Coma Score. The Glasgow Coma Scale quantifies the level of consciousness following traumatic brain injury. On both occasions Rosenbaum's GCS was listed as six.
DC Fire and EMS protocols describe a GCS of less than 13 as an unstable patient. Paramedic Kenneth Lyons, the head of the EMS workers union, says that with a score of six, Rosenbaum should have been made a high priority patient.
Lyons says that in such situations the hospital is supposed to be notified of the change in status and an Advanced Life Support ambulance is called to work on the patient.
No Advanced Life Support ambulance was sent to Rosenbaum and tapes released today indicate the hospital was never informed of a change in Rosenbaum's status or condition.
DC Fire and EMS Chief Adrian Thompson, who last week said all protocols were followed in the case, told 9 News today that the investigation is continuing.
The report also indicates that there was "ETOH consumption" (alcohol) by Rosenbaum. Rosenbaum's family told 9 News that it is possible David Rosenbaum had a drink with dinner earlier in the evening.
There has been concern that firefighters and police may have thought that alcohol use was Rosenbaum's problem and because of it never looked for the head wound that led to Rosenbaum's death.
Chief Thompson told 9 News he would not stand for workers providing less treatment to someone who they thought had been drinking.
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