Your first cardiac arrest

[wyoskibum]

There I was... No $h!t

the first time you responded to a patient with cardiac arrest.

This wasn't my very first CODE, but it may have been my first with me as the primary provider....

I was a fairly brand spakin new EMT-B. The ink was barely dry on my cert and I wanted so badly to have lights on my POV and a personal jump kit. Anyway, our Wilderness SAR team gets a call out for a snowmobiler c/o of chest pain. I was the only EMT available, so myself and a Sheriff's deputy got into the helicopter to fly to the scene.

As we are touching down, I see CPR in progress. This was back in the day when AED's were just coming out and not always available. As I approach, I get report from a MD who was on scene. 50+ y.o., obese, male pt had gotten his snowmobile stuck down in a drainage. Apparently he had spent some time trying to get it out on his own when he decided to hike out of the drainage to get help. As soon as he made it to the top, he collapsed in front of the MD and his group. CPR had been performed for 45+ mins, pt had vomitted and stomach was distended. All I could do was suction airway, place an OPA, continue CPR and load pt on helicopter. We flew the pt to a LZ where an ALS ambulance was waiting. They hooked him up to the LP10, confirmed asystole in 2 leads and pronounced him.

I never did get those lights on my POV....

 

[Ped101]

My first cardiac arrest....

We got called to a elderly patient with repiratory distress. We get to her house and her whole family was at her bedside. We start working the code and take her to a hospital where the monitor showed asystole and she was pronounced dead.

It was kind of traumatic because it was my first arrest, but it wasnt so bad

 

[Kevin1990]

the first arrest i went on was called in as a female fell, having pain. It was christmas day. I rememeber everything from that call, to where as most calls i dont. we found her on the basement floor, downtime of maybe 5 mins, ( she stopped breathing after her husband call 911).. guessing. were a volunteer dept, so it was me and another basic, and a medic was going direct. Started cpr, bagging her etc. Pt was pronounced at the hospital

 

[nomofica]

My first was before I was even in EMS. All I had was my First Aid + CPR.

Was on the bus, and a 30-something y/o M collapsed just outside the door of the bus after running to catch it. Without thinking, I instinctively grabbed my CPR mask out of my gym bag and went to workh34r:. It was odd; the training kicked right in and I felt like I wasn't controlling myself but rather the training was. No compromised airway, no audible/visual signs of breathing, no pulse - CPR commenced.

As per city transit's protocols, EMS, Fire, city police and a transit supervisor were dispatched to the scene. Medics told me to stay on compressions as I was doing a "damn good job", started IV, AED, etc, an FF took over vent with BVM + O2. CPR approx. 6-7 minutes by this time. AED converted v-fib to reg sinus but would soon pop back to v-fib, did that a couple times. Got into ambo w/ medics (one was driving) and the FF on vents and continued CPR until arrival at the hospital. transfer of care (still in v-fib and later asystole - pronounced by the doc in the resus. room in the ER), and I was thanked for my efforts. I was quite surprised they kept me until arriving at the hospital, as it's something I've never heard of but it was good fun (in the way all EMS professionals see as fun). That's partially what helped me make up my mind to want to work in EMS. Ended up getting a ride home from the hospital in an EMS flycar with a supe that was coincidentally being routed to the same neighbourhood I live in.

Learned a lot about myself that day. Haven't worked a code since, although witnessed a couple others in public but EMS was already working it so no sense in me being Larry the Life Saver. Worked obvious death calls, had a pt code literally just after we transfer care and leave (ER nurse is a friend of mine, texted me after the pt was pronounced).

 

[MusicMedic]

My first was before I was even in EMS. All I had was my First Aid + CPR.

Was on the bus, and a 30-something y/o M collapsed just outside the door of the bus after running to catch it. Without thinking, I instinctively grabbed my CPR mask out of my gym bag and went to workh34r:. It was odd; the training kicked right in and I felt like I wasn't controlling myself but rather the training was. No compromised airway, no audible/visual signs of breathing, no pulse - CPR commenced.

As per city transit's protocols, EMS, Fire, city police and a transit supervisor were dispatched to the scene. Medics told me to stay on compressions as I was doing a "damn good job", started IV, AED, etc, an FF took over vent with BVM + O2. CPR approx. 6-7 minutes by this time. AED converted v-fib to reg sinus but would soon pop back to v-fib, did that a couple times. Got into ambo w/ medics (one was driving) and the FF on vents and continued CPR until arrival at the hospital. transfer of care (still in v-fib and later asystole - pronounced by the doc in the resus. room in the ER), and I was thanked for my efforts. I was quite surprised they kept me until arriving at the hospital, as it's something I've never heard of but it was good fun (in the way all EMS professionals see as fun). That's partially what helped me make up my mind to want to work in EMS. Ended up getting a ride home from the hospital in an EMS flycar with a supe that was coincidentally being routed to the same neighbourhood I live in.

Learned a lot about myself that day. Haven't worked a code since, although witnessed a couple others in public but EMS was already working it so no sense in me being Larry the Life Saver. Worked obvious death calls, had a pt code literally just after we transfer care and leave (ER nurse is a friend of mine, texted me after the pt was pronounced).

wow thats awsome, thats kinda a dream call for me!
just walking down the street and bam its rescue time!!
it is unfortunate that everyone couldn't save him, oh well u cant save them all right?

great story though