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Paramedics resuscitate 65-year-old with heart problem

EKAB
31 Jan 2024 / 10:59

CORFU. "Upon arrival at the hospital, the patient receives the first defibrillation from the ambulance crew, and we hand him over for recovery with the entire team attending to him without a second΄s pause. After a short while, the patient rises, returning from the world of the dead to the world of the living."

On Tuesday evening, January 30th, the Ambulance Service (EKAB) received a call regarding a man in the port area with a cardiac problem. An ambulance rushed to the scene where they found the man, approximately 65 years old, without a pulse. After many attempts, the paramedics managed to resuscitate him.

The incident was described in a post on social media by the president of the Corfu Ambulance Service Employees Union, Christos Kypriotis.

"At the EKAB, a shift passes calmly until suddenly it changes.

But at the EKAB, we are never relaxed until our shift ends.

This evening, January 30th, the radio shouts loudly, "K21?"

The K21 centre responds:

"You will go to the port, K21, above the ... cafe. Urgent cardiac case, approximately 65-year-old male."

"Understood, K21, we are heading there."

In two minutes, we arrive at the scene, and the patient is found without a pulse and breath, with his wife informing us that she was nearby when he called her, saying he wasn't feeling well. She rushed home to find him unconscious on the couch.

 

Immediate initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) using an AED as the patient was found in asystole after repeated attempts. Continuous resuscitation efforts were made while keeping the hospital informed to have a resuscitation team ready and waiting.

Upon arrival at the hospital, the patient receives the first defibrillation from the ambulance crew, and we hand him over for recovery with the entire team attending to him without a second's pause. After a short while, the patient rises, returning from the world of the dead to the world of the living. He is intubated and transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

This is what we call the survival chain: skilled healthcare professionals from EKAB and hospital staff, doctors, and nurses, proud of our services.

Certainly, I cannot predict the outcome of such an incident, but our collective wish is for this person to remain alive and return to his family with as little damage as possible.

In such a battle, there is never too much assistance, and public education in first aid can save lives until the arrival of EKAB.

This is because we shouldn't only hear about the negatives but also the positives of the health service and the right to life on our island.

■ When we see an emergency vehicle with lights and sirens, we always pull over.

■ When we go to the hospital, we don't kick the doors.

■ When we face healthcare professionals, we don't assault them; they are few and precious.

■ We never leave any incident to chance unless we exhaust every possible means of assistance."

 

 

VASSILIS PANTAZOPOULOS

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