A middle-aged man was revived after a cardiac arrest episode despite a malfunctioning defibrillator.
The players in an oldtimer’s hockey league helped in saving the life of their teammate last week. The man suffered a heart attack in one of the dressing rooms at Pitt Meadows Arena Complex. His teammates performed CPR and rushed to find a second defibrillator after discovering that the batteries on the first one were already dead.
The man just finished playing a game when he went into cardiac arrest after entering the dressing room. The members of his team, the Tri-City Chiefs initiated CPR. When he failed to respond, they obtained an automated external defibrillator (AED) in the Volkswagen rink. Sadly, the defibrillator was not functional. The teammates had no choice but to find a second defibrillator which was in the Chrysler Arena.
Regular maintenance of AEDs
In the past, the defibrillators at the arena were examined once a month. According to Scott Mosby, acting general manager of Pitt Meadows Arena, after the incident, they are going to be checked every week.
There are 4 defibrillators in the facility. One is present in every rink, located half way down the length of the ice in Chrysler and Volkswagen rinks, outside the dressing rooms. In the Fiat rink, a defibrillator is found on the east side of the dressing rooms. Additionally, there is also a device in the main lobby.
Timely delivery of CPR
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) along with the prompt use of an AED by his fellow teammates and opposing teammates as well as the facility staff played a vital role in saving the life of the man.
The man was already breathing when he was transported by ambulance from the facility that night.
For more information about this story, click here to read now.
LEARN MORE
Learn how to help by enrolling in a course on first aid and for more information, check out these sources:
WebMD – CPR and New Defibrillators: Innovations in Emergency Care
Mayo Clinic – Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs): Understanding Use and Benefits