Cardiac Arrest Save

Press Release

On the night of January 16th 2006, SUNY Geneseo First Response (GFR), along with Geneseo Fire Department Ambulance, and Livingston County ALS were dispatched to a call on campus for an 18-year-old male unconscious with trouble breathing. Two minutes after dispatch SUNY GFR arrived with the duty crew and two executive officers to find the patient pulseless with agonal breathing of 2 breaths per minute, with bystanders performing CPR. The bystanders witnessed the sudden collapse with no warning or symptoms, and called campus emergency and started CPR. SUNY GFR quickly confirmed the patient to be pulseless and apneic and attached an AED. The AED advised a shock and one shock was delivered. A non-shockable rhythm was detected by a second AED analysis; the patient was reassessed and found to be still pulesless and apneic, CPR was continued. The airway was suctioned and an oral pharyngeal airway was inserted with ventilations continued by bag-valve mask (BVM) with oxygen at 15 LPM. After one minute of CPR the ABC?s were reassessed and a strong pulse was detected, but the patient was still apneic. Ventilations were continued at 12 per minute by BVM when ALS arrived. ALS and the transporting agency were given a full report. The patient was intubated and transported to the nearest hospital ED. The patient arrived at the ED with respirations, pulse, and blood-pressure within normal limits, though his GCS was still low. Data print out from the AED showed an initial rhythm of ventricular fibrillation and a successful defibrillation at 200 joules into asystole. After less than one minute of asystole with CPR a sinus rhythm returned. Just over a week later the patient was released from the hospital with an I.C.D. in place. The SUNY GFR First Responders arrived first and provided initial treatment followed by ALS and the transporting agency. The response was very efficient and defibrillation was done quickly. The scene was very calm and controlled. Cardiac arrests are not something GFR normally deals with on campus, but an excellent job was done in an unfamiliar situation. Everything was done in a smooth and outstanding manner. This exemplifies the training and skills that are rehearsed time after time and shows that the training and preparedness will achieve success.