July 19—Seattle Firefighters and Paramedics resuscitate a 69-year-old heart attack victim after a collision at 1st Avenue South and South Spokane Street.
At 7:08 a.m. a female driver called 911 to report that a man had rear ended her car and he was unconscious, unresponsive and not breathing. Under the suggestion of the dispatcher, the 911 caller initiated CPR while the patient was seated in his car.
Within 2 minutes, SODO Ladder Company 7 arrived on scene and pulled the patient from the car and used an automated external defibrillator or AED to shock the patient to try and revive his heart rhythm. Firefighters continued CPR for 2 more minutes. Medics arrived and used the AED again. The patient’s heart rhythm returned and paramedics were able to get a pulse.
Medics rushed the patient to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition with life threatening injuries.
In Seattle King County, the resuscitation rate for witnessed, shockable sudden cardiac arrest is 50% which is more than twice that of most cities according to statistics from the Medic One Foundation. Due to their nearly 3000 hours of additional training, Seattle Fire Department Paramedics are able to provide Advanced Life Support activities to cardiac patients.