Monday, January 15, 2007

How to save a life...

So Dustin was getting in his car this afternoon after work in the parking garage at Baylor Medical Center. He was about to climb into the drivers seat when he heard a lady screaming loudly for help. He looked over and saw an elderly lady screaming over her husband who was passed out on the floor just outside the elevators. He ran over there as fast as he could and to his surprise the man had no pulse and was not breathing. Being the great guy he is, Dustin started doing CPR right then and there. As he started compressions he told this man's wife to go get help. She was so hysterical she didn't know what to do. Dustin's simple request of "go get help" was not clicking in her head.
Dustin started screaming for help and grabbed his cell phone and called 911 (all while doing chest compressions) to try and describe where he was. By the way, he was about one minute away from the ER, but not on the right level of the parking garage. After about 5 minutes doing CPR himself (and a couple of broken ribs later), another person came walking out of the elevator. Luckily it was a doctor (even though we all know nurses are better at CPR than doctors!). He helped Dustin with CPR for a minute, but then ran to the ER himself to get help and a difibrillator. Shortly after that help arrived. Dustin gladly let them take over and proceeded to run to the corner and puke. They shocked the man a couple times, gave him some epi and quickly took him to the ER and later to the ICU.
No, we don't know if he's still alive, or even what his name is for that matter. He was in v-fib when they took him away, but he would have been dead had Dust not been there. Let this be a lesson to all to take a basic CPR class. You never know when and where you might need to know how to save a life. After a lot of adreniline, Listerine, toothpaste and soap, Dustin is someone's hero today. But in our house, he is our hero everyday!

2 comments:

Lindy said...

Dustin-

You rock. Way to go! I am so proud of you. I think I would have frozen up just like the old lady. And thank heaven for showers and toothpaste!!

Lindy

Jon and Sarah said...

Wow, what an unforgettable experience. When you're CPR certified, you never think that you'll actually use it. Way to think fast and know what to do right away.