I saw emergency vehicles come up our street and stop practically in front of the house. Turns out someone saw the neighbor across the street and two houses down lying in the yard with the mower running and called 911. They did CPR for 20 minutes before they loaded him and were still doing it as they closed the ambulance. I guess there is slim hope, but that duration makes it look pretty bleak. He's 63 and looked fit.
That's far too close to home. I guess we never know when the "ol' light switch" might get flipped to the off position. I've known too many who had that very experience.....once. In one case it was a normal day at the insurance office that was inside a bank. The guy said something like,"What the..." and slumped to the floor about three feet from a co-worker who was trained as an EMT. A bank employee with similar training came about 40 feet to help out in less than a minute. He was already gone.
That's it. I'm not mowing another blade of grass this summer...too dangerous.
On a serious note, I hate the EMT lights and sirens in the 'hood. 20 years ago, I use to worry about my "elderly" neighbors. They're all gone now....anybody's guess who's next.
Bill93, post: 322885, member: 87 wrote: I saw emergency vehicles come up our street and stop practically in front of the house. Turns out someone saw the neighbor across the street and two houses down lying in the yard with the mower running and called 911. They did CPR for 20 minutes before they loaded him and were still doing it as they closed the ambulance. I guess there is slim hope, but that duration makes it look pretty bleak. He's 63 and looked fit.
Could have been anything, but my bet is sudden cardiac arrest - average age is 65
Time is critical - with a 90% survival rate vs <5% makes you wonder why more businesses do not have the equipment on hand for an aging workforce.
I have tried to get my employer to purchase and maintain a defibrillator with no success.
In talking with EMT's, once CPR is started...VERY RARELY does the person actually recover.
My former boss was working with his dad who dropped next to the instrument, ruptured blood vessel on the heart. age 67.
Last year I went in for a routine visit at the VA. As I approached the door I saw a half dozen nurses and doctors run out. A 59 year old man had just collapsed. His wife was still standing there in shock. I sat her down and we talked while they worked on him. I've been watching test results from the Doc a little closer ever since. 59 years old, good health, seconds from care, gone...
From what I remember CPR alone has a failure rate of about 96%. I encourage everyone to get a defibrillator for their office. Keep one in the work truck might be tough. But defibrillators truly save lives.
If anyone hasn't had a CPR course recently, you might want to try to make time for one because the recommended procedure has changed quite a bit. There's information here. Basically, if you start compressions, do them about as hard and as fast as you can manage. Don't stop to do mouth-to-mouth, but if there's a 2nd person willing, they should do mouth-to-mouth separately.
I took a course a few years ago while I was pregnant, and had to relearn the procedure. I remember the instructor saying that if you have a good rhythm going on the compressions, EMS may just have you continue, even all the way to the ambulance or hospital rather than interrupt you.
>good rhythm going on the compressions,
and stamina. The adrenaline would only last so long. The firemen (young and strong) traded off.
This guy was dead. Everybody did their best but rumor in the neighborhood is that a doctor said there was no helping him at the time he hit the ground. That may mean a clot moved from somewhere (he had some history) and plugged up a vital passage.
