Performed CPR for the first time today, and it was successful!

Today, I can honestly say that I saved someone's life. 

I always wanted to be at a CPR and do the whole bit (compressions + oxygen etc.) and I always knew that it would come someday, I just wasn't sure when.  It happened today.  I wasn't even going to go in to volunteer today because I only had 3 hours of sleep over the past two days, and getting up at 5am this morning I almost put my head back on the pillow and fall back asleep.  I'm really glad I didn't.

When I say that a CPR was successful, I don't mean that right when we start compressions the patient jumps up and is fully awake and is back to normal and screams "Thanks!".  A successful CPR is when a person gets a pulse back and keeps the pulse, but still unconscious, all the way back to the hospital. Essentially it is bringing someone back to life, because to start CPR the patient has no pulse and is clinically dead (even though we aren't aloud to call someone dead).


Anyways, my first CPR.  I worked yesterday afternoon (3pm to 11pm) and got home at around 1am, fell asleep at 2am and woke up at 5am for today's shift.

I worked on the Natan today (with two paramedics, a medic, and me)

I was talking with a friend of mine this morning about how I really would like to be there if there was a CPR because it is a true test of your skills.  We didn't have any calls for the first 2 and a half hours, and was able to fall asleep for fifteen minutes until our first call.  We get our call at 9:47am, and it was called in for as breathing problems.  I thought that it was just going to be a normal call, apply some O2 then transport to the hospital, BUT...

We arrived at the nursing home ten seconds after the normal Basic Life Support ambulance arrived.  One of the volunteers was carrying in the AED (the device to shock a patient if there is no pulse) and I started thinking, "Hmmm.... that's weird."  When we walked in the patient, an 85 year old woman, was unconscious on the floor.  I missed the paramedics doing AVPU (checking to see if the patient is awake and has a pulse), and right when I put down the ambu bag the paramedic says get the cardiopump.  I can't even explain the adrenaline rush that I experienced at that moment.  But at the same time, I didn't even truly think about it and my training instantly clicked in.

I have a blog post from the start of my training where we did CPR on dummies for basically the entire day, I think this saved the patients life.  I knew exactly what to do, how hard to do compressions, when and how many, and most importantly, I was confident.

While I was focused on compressions, and doing the correct ratio to breaths, the paramedics were putting IV's in and clearing out her airway with this blade type thing that they put down the patients throat.

During the time of compressions, I was preparing myself mentally if the patient did not get a pulse back because the majority of the time CPR is ineffective.  After about 2 and half or three minutes of compressions, I switched with one of the other volunteers and about a minute and  half later, I hear the beeping sound of a pulse on the EKG monitor.  I couldn't believe it.  It was such an extraordinary feeling when I heard the beeping, I still can't believe it.  To know that I directly assisted in saving a person's life, to allow them to live another day, or even another minute, was just pure awesomeness (for lack of a better word).

Although there was a pulse, there was a lot more work to be done, clearing the airway out of all the guck and worrying about other complications that I won't get into because I don't really understand what exactly happened with all the Hebrew.

Anyways, we got her on the ambulance and transported lights and sirens to the hospital.  During the whole time, I continued to assist with giving breaths through the ambu (not mouth to mouth) and kept her alive.

Arrived at the hospital, still a pulse.  Brought to hospital bed, still a pulse.  Left the hospital, still a pulse and breathing, somewhat, on her own.


The greatest part though was when the paramedic, a man named Mani whom has worked with MDA for 30+ years, patted me on the back and sincerely said to me "You're good."  And I just said "Thank you." I wish I said something a little quirky like "Yea, you're pretty good too."  even though he's exceptional at what he does.


We had two more calls, 1) a seizure in one of the malls and 2) heart problems.  But this was on my mind the whole day.

First CPR, and it was successful.  Very lucky, but it happened.  So technically, 100% of my CPRs have been successful!


It was such a significant experience in my life, one that I will never forget.  It has impacted me in a way I can't describe, one in which I never truly understood the power of Emergency Medicine.  This is one of the reasons I came to volunteer with Magen David Adom: to experience different types of calls that I probably won't be able to experience at Syracuse.


Till next time,



Yallah Bye!