My First CPR

[shootnstarz]

As we were leaving the R/C club meeting tonight the VP, Safety Officer and myself were standing by my truck talking when we heard a sack of wet cement hit the asphalt across the parking lot. One of the elderly members in a walker was laid out, out like a light.

We rushed over to find him unconsciencous , no pulse and not breathing. The guy was turning dark blue. I started chest compressions while the VP made the call. After about 2 minutes of CPR the guy gasped and came to, started breathing and had a good pulse. About that time the medics showed up and hauled him away. He had a good size gash on his head but seemed to be quite coherent as they loaded him up.

Sure thought he was a goner for a few minutes there, thank God we were still in the parking lot because everybody else had left and no telling how long the poor guy would have laid there, probably wouldn't have made it.

Rick

 

[JGH]

Good job, Rick.

 

[statdoc]

Congrats on your first save.

 

[JohnAL]

Good job Rick.

 

[Choppersled]

Good for you Rick

 

[Deersniper270]

Awesome job man! I'm glad to hear there are still people out there that have the balls to save a life and not worry about lawsuits or anything! You sir did a good deed and now that man will see his family again. Bravo!

 

[Choppersled]

True this^ Didn't even think about the lawsuit crowd.

 

[Signal25]

Can you tell me anything about you certs? Are you Red Cross or AHA?

 

[shootnstarz]

Thanks guys, but I feel sure everybody here would have done the same thing. I'm just glad we were still there, could have had a different ending.

I had no thoughts of a lawsuit, I had thoughts of how blue and cold the guy was and I wasn't going to just stand there.

Why do you ask about my certification? That sounds like I'm being set up for trouble.

But to answer I have no certifications, I learned CPR in Army basic training in 1980 and that was the first time I ever had to use it.

Rick

 

[flyandscuba]

Good job! Yep, chest compressions (keep the blood pumping - it is more oxygenated than you may think) is key. Certification is always better than no certification -- but look at it this way, do nothing because you have no certification and the person WILL expire. Do chest compressions on a victim of a witnessed cardiac arrest and you have a good chance of experiencing an outcome like Rick's.

 

[Champ62]

Good job Rick. I'm sure the guy you saved doesn't care about your certs.

 

[TennJeep1618]

Great job, Rick!

 

[Seanpcola]

If it happens to me while I'm with you Rick remember, NO TONGUE!

J/k. Excellent job Rick! Ive had the Red Cross course a couple of times but thankfully I have never needed to use it.

 

[ilintner]

Wow, nice work! It is a good thing that you were there to do what needed to be done and that you had the know how to make a difference.

 

[shootnstarz]

Sorry Sean, all you get is chest compressions with a rifle butt.

Rick

 

[Deersniper270]

Sorry Sean, all you get is chest compressions with a rifle butt.

Rick

Haha :rofl:

 

[Patoz]

Good job Rick!! :rockon:

And guys you don't need to worry about lawsuits. Florida has the 'Good Samaritan Act', which protects people for trying to help. As long as you act in good faith, as any ordinary reasonably prudent person would act under the same or similar circumstances, and the victim does not refuse treatment, you're OK. If the patient is unconscious, or unable to communicate, that is considered 'implied consent', and is the opposite of the patient refusing help, so you're OK. Also, you must stay within your level of training (what you know), so don't try doing brain surgery on the side of the road when all you have is a basic first aid or CPR certification.

You don't need a certification to perform CPR or render first aid, just some common sense. There are many cases on record where a patient may have been saved if CPR could have been started just a minute or two earlier, so don't wait for EMS to get there. For each minute which elapses and a victim has no heartbeat, or goes without CPR being performed, 10 % of potential survivability is lost. Brain damage can start at 4 -6 minutes, so every second counts!!

The 2012 Florida Statutes

Title XLV, TORTS, Chapter 768, NEGLIGENCE

768.13 Good Samaritan Act; immunity from civil liability.—
(1) This act shall be known and cited as the “Good Samaritan Act.”
(2)(a) Any person, including those licensed to practice medicine, who gratuitously and in good faith renders emergency care or treatment either in direct response to emergency situations related to and arising out of a public health emergency declared pursuant to s. 381.00315, a state of emergency which has been declared pursuant to s. 252.36 or at the scene of an emergency outside of a hospital, doctor’s office, or other place having proper medical equipment, without objection of the injured victim or victims thereof, shall not be held liable for any civil damages as a result of such care or treatment or as a result of any act or failure to act in providing or arranging further medical treatment where the person acts as an ordinary reasonably prudent person would have acted under the same or similar circumstances...

Read the whole Chapter: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes...ing=&URL=0700-0799/0768/Sections/0768.13.html


Patrick Ozment
Gulf Coast Fire and Emergency Services
Department of Defense
District Fire Chief/EMT (retired)

 

[joe]

Good Job. I am sure he will be thankful for your help. The fact one has to be concerned about lawsuits in a situation like this is example of what is wrong with American Civil Law.

 

[bobinbusan]

GOOD JOB, right place @ the right time gave that person another day to hang with us.

 

[Signal25]

No, nothing bad.
As an ARC instructor Id love to submit you for their life saving award, but you have to be carded at the time of the save.
Still great job though.