A 50-year-old man suffered a cardiac arrest in the Mercy Fairfield parking lot. Luck was with him that day as a visitor saw him fall in the parking lot and told Kathy Harvey, RN who was working that day. Kathy immediately went outside and assessed the situation and began CPR resuscitation. A Respiratory Therapist joined her and aided in Kathy's mission to save a life. While Kathy waited for the EMS to arrive she continued CPR, following the BLS protocols. EMS arrived and placed the man on an AED machine and found him in PEA and V fib, both are heart rhythms that are incompatible with life. He was shocked once by the EMS, and his heart returned to a normal rhythm. This gentleman was then transported to Mercy's ER and from there he went to the Cardiac Cath Lab and received 2 stents. After his cath lab procedure, he came to the CVU, the unit where Kathy was working that day. Cardiologists at Mercy have verbalized that without the bystander and CPR that was given by Kathy prior to the EMS arrival, this patient's outcome would have been fatal.
Saturday into Sunday morning the patient was on a ventilator and some cardiac IV medicines. At 1035am all IV medicines were stopped and the patient was extubated. By lunchtime he was ambulating in his room, visiting with family and friends, conversing with staff and requesting lunch. Later in the evening he took a shower and will probably be dischargedMonday afternoon.
As nurses in a high-pressure unit, we often see the futility of trying to keep people alive, despite our best efforts. We deal with sadness, grief and quite often despair from families who have just lost a loved one. As an RN myself I can assure you this touches us deeply as we are all getting older and face mortality ourselves with our loved ones. But I can tell you there is no greater gift or feeling in the world when you have saved a life single-handedly as Kathy did or been part of a team that saved a life as well. No monetary gain, material possessions, or trips around the world can give you the feeling of giving a person and that person's family their loved one back.
We are living in a very tumultuous period in our world today. Life is full of uncertainties, strife, hardship and the unknown. Miracles seem few and far between, but what a great miracle that happened in the Mercy Fairfield parking lot on Saturday. A visitor saw a gentleman fall, alerted staff, who quickly took action and a life was saved. Wouldn't it be great if the world was full of these miracles on a continual basis? Kathy truly saved the gentleman's life and returned him to his loved ones, there truly is no greater or selfless act that can be done in the world today.