Responded to the home of a man who was the oldest surviving male in his family at 40–already post CABGx4 with multiple caths and MIs. He calls for chest discomfort, and knows better than to wait, and he’s right!
While giving report to the hospital, he lays back his head, looking at me… but not looking at me.
Yup, he’s dead.
Precordial thumps x3, paddles, 200joules – he sits up… FINISHES HIS SENTENCE! …and then says, “My chest hurts,” looks at my partner, with paddles.
“Oh shit!”
Comments 1
Paddles aren’t used when the heart stops, they’re to help the patient regain a regular heart beat. They do this by stopping the heart so it can restart when it’s beating irregularly, as during cardiac arrest. If he was already gone a shock would do nothing but waste everyone’s time.