If you have taken a corporate onsite CPR training course, chances are that you have learned how to use an automated external defibrillator, or AED. However, before you use an AED on someone that you suspect is experiencing a cardiac arrest episode, you should take a moment to check on the individual.
If you witness an individual collapsing or passing out, or if you come upon an individual who is already unconscious, you should confirm that the individual is unresponsive. You should shout and shake them to make sure they’re not just sleeping. Keep in mind though, that you should never shake an infant or very young child. Instead, you should pinch children in an attempt to wake them up.
What to Do
Before getting out the automated external defibrillator, you should call for emergency personnel. If there is someone else with you, have them call for emergency personnel and get the AED while you are performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which you can learn through a corporate onsite CPR training class.
After calling for emergency personnel and ensuring that they are on the way, you should check the person for a pulse and for breathing. If you notice that either of these are irregular or even absent, you should make preparations to use the AED as soon as possible. Cardiac arrest episodes can result in death if not treated within a few minutes.
If you did not witness the collapse and there is no one who knows the length of time that an individual has been unconscious, or if you don’t have an automated electronic defibrillator, you should do two minutes of CPR. You will be instructed in the proper CPR techniques in a corporate onsite CPR training course.
The American Heart Association encourages you to use “hands-only” CPR instead of traditional CPR. The point is to encourage the oxygenated blood to flow through the individual’s vital organs. Teens and adults have enough oxygen in their bodies to keep their vital organs alive until help arrives. You should do compressions at a rate of 100 per minute.
After you use an AED, or if you do not have access to an AED, you should keep giving CPR until medical help arrives or the person has been revived. You should try to limit your pauses between cycles of CPR.
If you do have access to an AED, after two minutes, you should use the AED to check the individual’s heart rhythm and then, if necessary, give another shock. If another shock is not necessary, simply continue offering cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
How to Use an AED
If you take a corporate onsite CPR training class, you will learn how to properly use an AED. If you have not taken one and don’t have plans in the near future to do so, the following instructions can help you.
Automated External Defibrillators are user-friendly machines that even the untrained bystander can use in order to save the life of an individual who is suffering from a cardiac arrest episode.
Due to the fact that an AED uses electric shock, you will need to make sure that the victim is not near any water or puddles. If they are, try to move them to a dry area – avoid any type of wetness when delivering shocks to a victim.
Turn on the power to the AED. You will see that the device will give you both on-screen prompts and voice prompts on how to use it.
First, expose the victim’s chest. If their chest is wet, dry it. You will see that the AED has sticky pads that have sensors known as electrodes. Look at the pictures on the AED and apply the pads to the victim’s chest as instructed. Make sure that the pads have a strong connection with the skin.
Make sure to remove any metal necklaces or underwire bras – metal could conduct electricity and cause burns. Also, check for any medical devices or body piercings. If either of these are present, keep the pads at least one inch away from them.
Make sure electrodes are connected properly to the AED and no one is touching the victim. Then, press the “analyze” button and the machine will check the victim’s heart rate. If shock is necessary, the AED will let you know when to do so.
As you are instructed in corporate onsite CPR training courses, you will begin or continue CPR until medical personnel arrive or the victim has been revived.
Sources:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/aed/howtouse
]]>Every year, there are more and more AEDs in public areas, shopping malls, and office buildings throughout New Jersey. In addition, corporate onsite CPR training is becoming more widespread as businesses are doing everything they can to increase safety in the workplace. These devices are helping save people’s lives when they have sudden heart problems that result in cardiac arrest. Though these machines are easy to use, it is still very important that more people receive AED training and CPR training in NJ. The proper training will increase the chance that someone will be able to use the device properly, and research has shown that these devices can help double or triple a person’s chance of surviving sudden cardiac arrest.
Every minute counts in these types of emergencies. Someone with AED and CPR training in NJ has the knowledge and skills to immediately respond to an emergency, increasing the chance that the person survives. If you have never seen or used an AED before, it can be intimidating, especially when someone else’s life is on the line. Completing AED and CPR training in NJ will help give you the training and confidence to respond correctly in any emergency without hesitation.
What Is an Automated External Defibrillator?
An AED, also known as an automated external defibrillator, is a small device that can help save the life of someone who has experienced sudden cardiac arrest. The device has electrodes that you attach to the person’s chest, and these electrodes can detect the person’s heartbeat and determine if they need an electric shock to restore the normal rhythm of their heart. The device can then deliver that electric shock to the person’s heart and help them before it’s too late. In combination with CPR training in NJ, the use of an AED can dramatically increase a person’s chance of survival.
AEDs are lightweight, portable, and powered by batteries, making it very easy to carry them to any victim and begin using them. They are normally located in malls, offices, and in public places, so that they can be used in an emergency. Because AEDs are automated, they are very easy to use. With the training in a corporate onsite CPR training session, anyone can learn how to use one effectively. The computer in an AED is able to analyze the person’s heartbeat and will prevent you from using an AED on a person who doesn’t need it. The computer will also help assist you in using the product and will tell you when to provide the electric shock. CPR training in NJ can provide more familiarity with the device, which ensures that it used 100% correctly.
When Do You Use an AED?
If a person’s heart has suddenly stopped beating, their body goes into sudden cardiac arrest, and this is when an AED can be used to potentially save that person’s life. Classes for CPR training in NJ can show you how to recognize when someone is experiencing sudden cardiac arrest and how to quickly respond.
If someone suddenly loses consciousness and collapses, you should immediately try to wake them up and get them to respond. If they do not respond, you need to check their breathing and pulse and call 9-1-1. At this point, you will need to immediately provide CPR and use the AED before the medical professionals arrive. This type of response, if performed correctly, can dramatically increase someone’s chances of surviving. With corporate onsite CPR training, you can learn exactly what to do and how to do it during a future emergency. Contact us for more information about CPR training in NJ.
Sources:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/aed/howtouse
]]>Today CPR is one of the most accepted and standardized techniques used by emergency responders, and corporate onsite CPR training is offered in almost every major company and business in the United States. Though this has been the case for decades, there was a time when the technique was less accepted by the public and the medical community.
Like other medical breakthroughs, CPR was not discovered all at once. Instead it was slowly studied and refined until it became the standardized life-saving procedure that it is today. From its beginnings in the 1700s, cardiopulmonary resuscitation has continued to evolve as doctors have learned more about the human body, and now it is an extremely effective way to provide emergency medical response to a person suffering from sudden cardiac arrest.
The Beginning
The first mentions of the procedures that would one day become CPR appeared in the middle of 18th century. The Paris Academy of Science began to endorse mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for drowning victims in 1740.
Around the same time, the Society for the Recovery of Drowned Persons was organized. This organizations was founded in Amsterdam in response to the hundreds of citizens who died by drowning in the canals every year. Though not all of the society’s ideas were medically accurate or effective, some of their practices were very similar to how CPR is performed today. These practices would spread to other organizations that provided medical assistance to drowning victims, but it would still be some time before doctors and others studied these techniques in detail.
In the next 150 years, the medical community learned more about the human body and began to study resuscitation. Finally at the end of the nineteenth century two doctors, Dr. Friedrich Maass and Dr. George Crile, independently documented the medical use of chest compressions to resuscitate someone who had drowned. Dr. Maass performed and documented chest compressions, and Dr. Crile had similar success in 1903. From then on, medical organizations adopted chest compressions as a way to revive those who had drowned.
Mouth-to-Mouth CPR
Then in the 1950s, there was another breakthrough in cardiopulmonary resuscitation research. Dr. Peter Safar, Dr. James Elam, and Dr. Archer Gordon were able to prove that mouth-to-mouth resuscitation could provide adequate oxygen to the body and increase the chance of survival of a drowning victim. In 1956, they developed techniques that made mouth-to-mouth CPR more effective, and soon these practices were adopted by the U.S. military and emergency medical services.
In 1960, the American Heart Association started to teach physicians how to perform CPR. In the next decades, the practice became more and more accepted. The first large scale CPR training occurred in Seattle, Washington in 1972. Leonard Cobb led the training program called “Medic 2” which trained more than 100,000 people in the program’s first two years.
CPR in Businesses
Businesses also started providing corporate onsite CPR training, so employees could perform the technique during an emergency, and this became more and more common. Corporate onsite CPR training is now found in many of the world’s largest corporations and businesses. Not only does it help make offices safer, but it’s also a great team-building and leadership opportunity for organizations.
If you are interested in corporate onsite CPR training, there are many ways that you can provide training on a flexible schedule and give participants the chance to get certified in CPR. Our corporate onsite CPR training programs are designed to make CPR approachable and easy to learn, so that your staff will be able to use these techniques to save the lives of coworkers, family members, and anyone else who needs help.
Sources:
]]>Though CPR, which stands for cardio pulmonary resuscitation, has been around for a long time, many people don’t know exactly how it works, the science behind it, or how effective it is. This is too bad, because if the public better understood how important CPR is, more people would enroll in CPR training in NJ. Fortunately, more and more public schools are providing CPR training in NJ, and this is making all communities in the state safer. The number of corporations offering this training to employees is also increasing around New Jersey.
Though some people are turned off by the idea of having to perform CPR on total strangers, the truth is that most medical emergencies occur at home and at work. In addition to potentially saving the lives of strangers, CPR training in NJ can also help you save the lives of your family, friends, and others you care about. CPR training is most likely to save the life of someone you know and care about, and that’s why so many people are interested in learning how to safely perform it. Additionally, there are hands-only CPR techniques that can be learned that avoid mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for those who are squeamish about that type of technique.
CPR Saves Lives
Research conducted on CPR continues to show that CPR can potentially save a person’s life — about 92,000 lives every year. CPR can be an effective way to restore breathing and normal heart function, and it can increase a person’s chance of survival after
- sudden cardiac arrest
- heart attack
- choking
- suffocating
- almost drowning
- suffering an allergic reaction
- getting shocked with electricity
- overdosing on drugs
This isn’t to say that CPR will always save a person’s life. When a person requires CPR, their body is already under an extreme amount of stress, and the problems that caused their heart to stop may be too serious to repair with CPR. About 92% of people who experience sudden cardiac arrest do not survive before they arrive at the hospital; however, performing CPR immediately can double or triple that person’s chances to survive.
When a person stops breathing, every second counts. That’s why it’s so important that one of the first people who reach the victim can perform CPR without any hesitation. CPR training in NJ doesn’t just teach people how to perform CPR, which is relatively simple; it also provides each participant with the confidence they need to act decisively in an emergency situation.
Who Can Use CPR Training?
Everyone can benefit from learning how to perform CPR. It is not just something for lifeguards and medical professionals. Many businesses offer corporate onsite CPR training to their employees because it’s a great team-building exercise and increases the safety of every employee in the office. Most offices now have AED devices, which use electricity to restart the heart. During CPR training, employees can also learn how to use these devices which can save someone who’s in sudden cardiac arrest.
CPR training in NJ is also popular among private citizens who want to be able to perform CPR for their family members and friends. When there is an emergency, it is very important that someone nearby can perform CPR immediately before the medical professionals arrive.
If you have family members with heart problems, children with congenital defects, or just want to be prepared for an emergency, CPR training is right for you. We provide different types of training and certification to give you the tools you need to save someone’s life. Contact us for more information about our next session of CPR training in NJ.
Sources:
http://lasvegassun.com/news/2015/jul/13/how-perform-adult-cpr/
]]>Do you provide corporate onsite CPR training for your employees and coworkers? If not, you should think about looking into CPR training programs and seeing if it’s something that your employees would be interested in. CPR training is important and useful for everyone, no matter their age or profession. The skills were once limited to lifeguards and medical professionals, but now more and more people are learning how to perform CPR because of the great benefits that the training can provide. Here are some of the biggest benefits of corporate onsite CPR training. If you’re interested in providing training to your employees, contact us today.
- Giving Your Employees Confidence
The idea of being thrust in a situation where you have to save someone’s life is very intimidating for most people. Without an understanding of CPR and training, many people feel helpless in these situations, and even if these situations never occur, the fact that they don’t know how to act can make them less confident. After completing CPR training, your employees will feel more confident because they know that they could potentially save someone’s life during an emergency.
- Team-Building and Leadership
Whenever your team has to work together, learn something new, and take on a new task, it’s a great opportunity for team-building in the office. Office safety is a fantastic project that can bring together employees from different departments and parts of an office, allowing them to collaborate and work together. Corporate onsite CPR training and first aid training can be part of these types of projects, or can be a great way to kick off an office safety program.
- AED and First Aid Training
CPR programs do not focus solely on how to provide CPR. These programs can also teach your employees how to provide first aid and how to use an automated external defibrillator. This type of training will give your employees the skills to respond in any type of emergency situation in the workplace.
- Saving Lives at Work
Ultimately, you provide corporate onsite CPR training so that your employees can use it if there is ever an emergency. Immediate CPR and defibrillation can be the difference between someone living or dying, so it’s extremely important that someone nearby is trained and ready to help. Only about 10% of people who suffer sudden cardiac arrest are able to survive by the time they reach the hospital. Providing CPR and defibrillation correctly and right away can double or even triple a person’s chance of surviving.
- CPR for Families and Children
Not only will CPR training make the office safer, it will also make your employees’ homes much safer in the event of an emergency. Almost 90% of sudden cardiac arrests occur in the home, and with the proper training, your employees will be able to perform CPR on loved ones and family members. This type of training is especially important if family members have heart problems or if there are young children in the household. If a child has an issue, someone trained in CPR will know how to adjust the technique to make it more effective on a child.
These are just a few of the many benefits of corporate onsite CPR training. Your employees will be very grateful to you for providing corporate onsite CPR training, and the program will be very beneficial for your organization as well. Corporate onsite CPR training programs can be customized to include AED and first aid training, and they can be scheduled to be more convenient for a busy office with lots of deadlines. Contact us for more information.
Sources:
http://www.cprcpr.com/5-benefits-of-learning-cpr-in-san-jose/
]]>I want to get a certification. That’s it!
Well, a large number of people want to enroll for CPR classes only for the sake of a certification. Most hospitals and healthcare organizations require their employees to have basic knowledge regarding First-Aid, CPR and AED. A person looking for a certification to just get employment in such organizations, has endless options of classes to choose from.
A simple “CPR class” search on Google will fetch a long list of agencies and a variety of training classes for enrollment. However an overwhelming majority of these online agencies have absolutely no standards in granting a certification. They are there to just make money. These agencies may provide a handbook on CPR and conduct an online test before granting a certification. As a matter of fact, a large number of them just hand over a certification for simply registering for the course and paying the fees.
Nonetheless, whether the employing organization will accept the certification from a particular online agency or not is completely at their discretion. Therefore, it is better to know which certifications they accept beforehand, if possible.
I want to learn to administer CPR
It is impossible to learn CPR without some actual practice in the presence of an instructor. The actual practice is done on a mannequin in a CPR class. Only some agencies go to the lengths of providing a mannequin and an experienced instructor to train the students. When I say experienced instructor, he should be someone who has had hands-on experience of administering a CPR. Having someone who has worked as a paramedic or a nurse is the best bet. Likewise, the classes which require their students to demonstrate competence in CPR administration, for awarding a certification are trustworthy.
Various hospitals and EMS providers conduct weekend CPR classes, which are, more often than not, quite good too. But, generally they do not offer certifications for attending their classes.
Remember to ask these questions before enrolling for a CPR class.
- Is hands-on training available?
- Is there a mannequin available on which you can perform chest compressions? Will each student get one to practice?
- Is the instructor experienced?
- What was the nature of his previous job? Did he have the opportunity to perform CPR?
- How rigorous is the training?
- Are there any tests for awarding the certification at the end of the training?
I want to learn as well as get a CPR certification
The certifications awarded by various CPR classes are not valid universally. Whether a certification is considered valid is purely at the discretion of the person and/or the organization asking for it. Overall, there are only 2 organizations whose certifications are widely, if not universally, accepted. They are American Heart Association and American Red Cross. These organizations are known for their excellent training programs. On the other hand, depending on your location, they may not have year-round classes. It is therefore recommended to check for their class schedules in advance.
]]>- Legal Implications:
An emergency requiring CPR is naturally a life and death situation. Consequently, the legal implications of the actions by various parties during the situation are also serious. Although it is the duty of a CPR professional to act and tend to such an emergency, considerations such as consent, scope of practice, confidentiality, documentation and so on are equally important. The classes train participants on the legal considerations and proper behavior to be followed with the victim.
- Protection against pathogens
The professionals are trained on the various methods of preventing the spreading of blood-borne pathogens from the victim. It is possible that an emergency victim is a patient of blood-borne diseases such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV. Therefore a professional should be well versed with precautions to be taken against exposure to such pathogens and also know the steps to be taken if an exposure occurs.
- Primary Assessment
One of the first things a professional is required to do in an emergency is to assess the conditions of the victim. Unconsciousness, breathing, pulse and bleeding are to be checked. The accuracy of the assessment is critical, for the correct administration of life-saving techniques to the victim. Classes discuss in depth, the steps to be taken during assessment of victims in various emergencies such as spinal injuries, drowning, vomiting and so on.
- Respiratory Distress Situations
In the pandemonium that ensues an emergency, it is difficult to notice important clues on the conditions of the victim such as Hypoxia, Choking or slow breathing. Professionals are trained to look for a dozen symptoms of respiratory distress in a victim and the assistances they can extend the victim.
- Cardiac Emergencies
This could be a tricky subject for a non-professional since the symptoms of cardiac emergencies are easily confused with muscle spasms or indigestion. A late response in identification of and response to a heart attack could mean death to the victim. CPR Professionals are trained to recognize the various causes and symptoms of a heart attack so that they can tend to the victims.
- Administration of CPR
CPR is a fairly complex technique and requires considerable skill on part of a professional. Factors such as hand position, chest compression rate, ventilations and others, have to be properly monitored while administering a CPR. These factors also depend on the age of the victim.
- Two-Rescuer CPR
In this method, one of the rescuers gives chest compressions, while the other administers ventilations in a synchronized manner. Since those few precious moments of emergency can be a deciding factor between life and death for the victim, an extra pair of hands is an advantage. The CPR classes train the participants on how to administer a two-rescuer CPR in sync with each other.
8. Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
Most classes on AED may not cover the topic of AEDs for the simple reason that it is not something that is readily available to everybody in an emergency. They are available mostly with the Advanced Medical Personnel. However, some classes do cover AEDs in varying depths of detail. Typical knowledge explored in AED sessions include using an AED on adult, child and infant, precautions to be taken with AED and so on.
Most of the information on CPR is easily obtained online. But it is a fairly complex task and requires considerable skill on part of you to administering it. Therefore, it is your duty, as a responsible fellow human, to practice these skills in person in classes. What`s more, as someone with such life-skills, the people around you can depend on you to tend to them during an emergency.
]]>Las Vegas firefighters are garnering increased attention for their hands-only CPR training. As one of the locales leading the way for cardiac arrest survival rates, Las Vegas is approaching incredible 25% survival numbers and even has its sights set on reaching 50%. The hands-only CPR approach is appealing to many who might have reservations about doing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. The positive numbers do not, however, appear to reflect the element of chance; Las Vegas firefighters have made it their goal to increase CPR training and to improve people’s chance for survival.
Short and Simple
One of the hallmarks of the Las Vegas Firefighters’ program is that is easy. The hands-only technique is not overly difficult for people to learn. Moreover, the instruction can be achieved in a mere matter of minutes. The program is also free which makes it easier to promote to community residents. Many people are happy and even grateful to have the opportunity to learn the life-saving techniques so quickly and at no cost. The firefighters are hoping to bring their training to increasing numbers of people. So far their efforts have been rewarded with those increased survival rates.
Hands-Only CPR
Sometimes referred to as ‘compression-only’ CPR, this technique is gaining in popularity around the country but especially in urban areas. Hands-only can be a viable form of CPR, especially where emergency responses tend to be quick. In more remote places, compression and mouth-to-mouth CPR increases people’s chance for survival. The hands-only form of CPR can save a life and preserve good neurological (brain) function when properly conducted. The firefighters have also designed an app to accompany the training that users may refer to for information. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the app “notifies those trained in the use of CPR and the operation of the Automatic External Defibrillator when they are within 200 yards of a cardiac emergency that has been called into the fire department.” The app can also tell people where the nearest public AED is in reference to the incident site. (reviewjournal.com/columns-blogs/john-l-smith/las-vegas-firefighters-lead-way-cpr-training)
Innovative Approaches to CPR Training
CPR is getting more attention throughout the U.S. For this reason, training programs like the Las Vegas Firefighter program are getting national recognition and making a difference in people’s lives. The hands-on only form of CPR is gaining considerable popularity as a viable form of the techniques. Also the public placement of AEDs is also part of the overall push for more CPR resources. Some states are simply pushing CPR training as a requirement for students. In this way, states will produce generations that have the necessary training. In states like Virginia, high school students must become certified to perform CPR before graduating. Other nations are also considering similar mandates. In Denmark, teen drivers cannot obtain a driver’s license until they complete CPR training.
With so many fine approaches to CPR training underway, many hope that more people will survive cardiac arrest episodes. Studies are now underway to determine which programs show the most promise. People can help this national effort, of course, simply by signing up for CPR training in their own communities.
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CPR training is invaluable for preserving life when catastrophe strikes. It is also finding its way into sporting events. In recent news, various athletes have required CPR. Sometimes it’s an unknown heart condition that leads to a collapse or sometimes it’s pure exhaustion. Whatever the case, bystanders that have CPR training can save the life of an athlete that suffers cardiac arrest. The following news items reflect recent incidents where CPR was performed on the court or field.
Young Wrestler Saved by CPR
Recently a 15-year-old wrestler was the subject of an astounding news story. The teen was dead was seven minutes yet his school principal has just completed CPR training six days before and was able to administer the life-saving techniques until emergency services arrived. The youth had an undetected hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that led to his cardiac arrest; the condition plagues various young athletes though it can be detected through an EKG. The boy’s school did not require the test and the boy was allowed to wrestle. Today he is alive thanks to the timely intervention of his school principal who is certainly gratified that he completed his training!
AEDs and Schools
A young Idaho football player owes his survival to an AED that was placed at his high school. Having collapsed on the field, the boy received CPR from two coaches while a third ran for help and to retrieve the school’s AED. The coaches delivering the CPR are convinced that the boy might never have revived it was not for the AED. They now advocate for these devices which they believe should be placed in all schools as well as other public places.
Teen Girl Saved on Basketball Court
A teen softball player decided to play some basketball for a change at the school gym when she collapsed on the court. The coach ran to her side and knowing CPR, he was able to deliver a couple rounds before others could bring the AED to him. Because she had no pulse, the coach knew to deliver one shock to the girl. He was able to keep her alive until emergency help arrived. Her case was another instance where both CPR and the AED were essential for saving her life that day.
Athletes Do CPR Too!
This past fall a college student athlete was able to help administer CPR before her game. On game days this young woman liked to go to the local coffee shop for a little jolt of caffeine. Upon arriving, she saw a commotion at the entrance where a man had collapsed. Knowing CPR, she was able to help revive him by performing chest compressions until emergency services arrived. In her case, a coffee habit and CPR saved a human life!
Athletics is fun for kids and they can hardly wait to hit the court, track, or their associated venue in order to play their hearts out! Sometimes, their hearts carry an undetected abnormality that stops them in their tracks. Luckily athletic departments now understand the essential need to train in CPR and to keep AEDs on hand. These people were lucky to survive their ordeals and they did because bystanders trained in CPR and were on the scene to help!
]]>Traveling underneath Harlem on a southbound A Train, I was standing in the first car as the train stopped at the 125th St. station. A moment later, I was being hoisted up several flights of stairs, strapped in a medical gurney. At street level, a sign read “59th St. — Columbus Circle.” Everything was garbled and nothing made sense. Why was I being hauled up the stairs, and why wasn’t this 125th St.? The EMT’s loaded me into a New York-Presbyterian ambulance, said something about a miracle and drove off. I just lay in the back, dazed.
Gradually, I learned what happened. As the train left 125th St., I had collapsed on the floor, started foaming at the mouth and turned blue. A few seats away, Dr. Sonia Tolani, a cardiology fellow at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia Medical Cente, quickly realized I had gone into sudden cardiac arrest. I didn’t have a heart attack; electrically, my heart went into a fatal rhythm and stopped beating. I literally dropped dead. Dr. Tolani immediately started Hands-Only CPR to keep blood flowing to my brain and organs. Knowing she needed help, she called out and asked if anyone else knew CPR. Another passenger, Tony Medaglia, volunteered and joined in with her. Tony also worked at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia, but didn’t know Dr. Tolani. He worked in a non-medical position. Tony was a retired cop, though, and had fortunately learned CPR at the police academy.
At 5pm during a Friday rush hour, the train was slow to get to the next stop at 59th St. Luckily, an AED defibrillator was located there. Not many subway stations in New York City have them and all the chest compressions in the world won’t shock the heart back into rhythm. Taking turns, Dr. Tolani and Tony performed 100 chest compressions per minute on me, for over 23 minutes, as the train continued heading south. Tony’s business suit became drenched with sweat and the doctor developed large bruises on the palms of her hands and on her knees. When the train reached 59th St., the transit police arrived with the AED. Dr. Tolani placed the pads on me as the cops assisted. After the first shock, she couldn’t find a pulse, so she continued CPR for another two minutes. A second shock and still nothing. Back to the CPR again. At that point, the doctor figured I wasn’t coming back. She had the transit cop operate the defibrillator a third time, but it never delivered the shock. The device won’t fire if it detects a heartbeat and, right at that moment, one of the cops noticed my eyes starting to roll around. Dr. Tolani found a bounding pulse as I suddenly took a deep breath. I came back. The crowd went wild.
The EMT’s quickly arrived, put me on the gurney and took me off the train. I spent the next five days in the hospital. An ICD defibrillator was implanted just below my collarbone. The ICD is now my “guardian angel” and, since then, has paced my heart out of other irregular rhythms. Tests showed I had no brain damage or any loss of bodily function. Initially, my reaction time was a little slow, but I was fine otherwise. Before I was discharged, the hospital arranged a reunion for me with all the responders. Aside from the EMT’s, I had no idea what anyone else looked like. Hugs went all around. Dr. Tolani told me, by her watch, I was gone for 27 minutes. Emotions ran high that afternoon as I met these great people who saved me.
I’m alive today thanks to the extraordinary efforts of two good Samaritans on a subway train who knew Hands-Only CPR. They were determined that I not die. As a medical doctor studying to become a cardiologist, Sonia Tolani had performed CPR many times. Her presence in that train car proved invaluable and lifesaving. Tony Medaglia was simply a good guy with a big heart who volunteered to help. He was also, however, someone who had taken time to learn CPR in the past.
Learning Hands-Only CPR takes just minutes. It’s the best investment of time that you can make. Trust me, I’m living proof of it. When a person goes into sudden cardiac arrest, their survival depends on getting immediate CPR from someone nearby. It’s a two-step process. First, call 911. Next, push hard and fast in the center of the chest. The American Heart Association makes learning really easy. Watch their 60-second demonstration video at www.heart.org/handsonlycpr. CPR can double or even triple a victim’s chance of survival.
Go learn CPR. Don’t wait. Do it now. Watch the video. Better yet, take a class. I’m lucky to be here today. More than lucky. Winning the lottery is nothing compared to this. And there may come a day when you find yourself in the position to make someone lucky too.
Hey, you never know. Just do it.
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