Oregon Man Saved by Quick CPR and Use of AED by Coworker After Cardiac Arrest

Andy* was preparing for a meeting after lunch on July 7, 2016, when his colleagues noticed he looked like he was falling asleep.
“I remember someone asked if I was okay, and then they said I just slumped down in my chair,” he said.
Andy, who lives in Beaverton, Oregon and was 45 at the time, was having a cardiac arrest. His colleagues quickly called for help, and within moments, a coworker named Natalie Chitwood arrived and began performing Hands-Only CPR, while another colleague grabbed the automated external defibrillator or AED.
Chitwood had deployed two shocks from the AED before a local sheriff’s deputy arrived to assist. A team of paramedics from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue arrived a few minutes later and administered advance life support before transporting Andy to the hospital.
Once stabilized, Andy was put into a medically-induced coma for two days to allow his body to rest.
Doctors were unable to determine what triggered Andy’s heart to go into ventricular fibrillation resulting in cardiac arrest. An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) was placed that will deliver a shock to his heart if a fatal rhythm is detected.
Andy’s heart didn’t experience any muscle damage due to the cardiac arrest, something doctors attributed to the fast actions of bystanders initiating CPR and using the AED. 
The emotional toll of the incident was more difficult, Andy said, because he still doesn’t know what caused his cardiac arrest. For survivors like An...

Source: JEMS Patient Care - January 24, 2018 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Jeff A. Woodin, NRP, FAHA Tags: Cardiac & Resuscitation Patient Care News Source Type: news