Im an emergency responder - a volunteer for the ambulance service, responding to 999 calls due to my remote location. I've been doing it for about 1.5 years, and deal with lots of little things - falls, broken bones, pre-existing conditions etc, all for up to an hour before paramedic support.
As part of my self development, I arranged to do some 3rd manning with a city ambulance service. Due to my responder'ing, it meant I could assist as well as observe. The paramedics asked me if there was anything I didn't want to see/experience. I said I wanted to see it all. They asked if there was anything I did want to see - I said CPR. I've trained many many times on dummies, but felt I needed to experience it on a real patient.
Long story short, we got called out to a lady with chest pains but 30 minutes later. Obvious she was having a mild heart attack as she spoke to us. As we talked to her, she had a cardiac arrest in front of us.
We moved her from her bed to the floor, and the paramedic started performing chest compressions. He then needed IV access, and asked if I was able to continue (I've trained for years, just never put it into practice). Luckily, I stayed calm and said I was able. I started chest compressions, and luckily the training came flooding back.
After probably 2 sets of 30, we attached the defib and shocked her - nothing, still VF. I carried on with chest compressions, and this time felt some ribs breaking (later turned out to be 4). You're trained that CPR presents the risks of ribs breaking, but it's very acceptable (it might hurt the patient, but at least they'll be alive to feel the pain). Certainly very strange - trained to expect it, but then to experience it, was very strange. Again, happy with myself that it didn't phase me (at the time) and I continued. FYI - chest compressions should be done on average, 5-6cm down into the chest, at a rate of 100 per minute.
After the paramedic completed the IV, we shocked a 2nd time. This time, our patient regained sinus rhythm. (Her heart started beating on it's own and properly)
We rushed her to hospital, straight up to the Cardiac Care Unit, and she was in an operating theatre within 10 minutes of arriving for angioplasty. (Which the consultant let me observe to help with the learning process - very good of him).
Angioplasty was a success, patient had an intra-aortic balloon pump put in which helps the heart by reducing it's load.
I visited the patient 10 hours later, having brought another patient into the hospital, so nipped up to the ward to poke my head in. She was semi-awake, but recognised me and smiled. I've no doubt that the paramedic with me would have probably had the same result if they were on their own, but knowing that I've had a part in saving that woman's life - a mother, a grand mother, a sister; best feeling ever.
The rates of recovery for an out of hospital cardiac arrest are scarily small, and was told that I shouldn't expect a successful resus all the time (hardly ever in fact). But this one, the one I had a big part with, watched it happen and set about doing everything I could to fix it, I'll always remember.
If you haven't done CPR training, or a bit rusty, please please do think about looking into it. Recovery chances are not as good as one would like, but you could make the world of difference. Latest CPR guidelines
Anyway, a semi-random thread - but I needed to vent my excitement somewhere!! It's further fueled my desire to enter the medical world.
As part of my self development, I arranged to do some 3rd manning with a city ambulance service. Due to my responder'ing, it meant I could assist as well as observe. The paramedics asked me if there was anything I didn't want to see/experience. I said I wanted to see it all. They asked if there was anything I did want to see - I said CPR. I've trained many many times on dummies, but felt I needed to experience it on a real patient.
Long story short, we got called out to a lady with chest pains but 30 minutes later. Obvious she was having a mild heart attack as she spoke to us. As we talked to her, she had a cardiac arrest in front of us.
We moved her from her bed to the floor, and the paramedic started performing chest compressions. He then needed IV access, and asked if I was able to continue (I've trained for years, just never put it into practice). Luckily, I stayed calm and said I was able. I started chest compressions, and luckily the training came flooding back.
After probably 2 sets of 30, we attached the defib and shocked her - nothing, still VF. I carried on with chest compressions, and this time felt some ribs breaking (later turned out to be 4). You're trained that CPR presents the risks of ribs breaking, but it's very acceptable (it might hurt the patient, but at least they'll be alive to feel the pain). Certainly very strange - trained to expect it, but then to experience it, was very strange. Again, happy with myself that it didn't phase me (at the time) and I continued. FYI - chest compressions should be done on average, 5-6cm down into the chest, at a rate of 100 per minute.
After the paramedic completed the IV, we shocked a 2nd time. This time, our patient regained sinus rhythm. (Her heart started beating on it's own and properly)
We rushed her to hospital, straight up to the Cardiac Care Unit, and she was in an operating theatre within 10 minutes of arriving for angioplasty. (Which the consultant let me observe to help with the learning process - very good of him).
Angioplasty was a success, patient had an intra-aortic balloon pump put in which helps the heart by reducing it's load.
I visited the patient 10 hours later, having brought another patient into the hospital, so nipped up to the ward to poke my head in. She was semi-awake, but recognised me and smiled. I've no doubt that the paramedic with me would have probably had the same result if they were on their own, but knowing that I've had a part in saving that woman's life - a mother, a grand mother, a sister; best feeling ever.
The rates of recovery for an out of hospital cardiac arrest are scarily small, and was told that I shouldn't expect a successful resus all the time (hardly ever in fact). But this one, the one I had a big part with, watched it happen and set about doing everything I could to fix it, I'll always remember.
If you haven't done CPR training, or a bit rusty, please please do think about looking into it. Recovery chances are not as good as one would like, but you could make the world of difference. Latest CPR guidelines
Anyway, a semi-random thread - but I needed to vent my excitement somewhere!! It's further fueled my desire to enter the medical world.
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