The importance of early defibrillation in the life-saving process was demonstrated when a Surrey man gripped a paramedic’s arm and announced “I’m going to go now”, just before collapsing into cardiac arrest.
SECAmb’s Millie Lawlor and Sophia Whetstone had been monitoring Ken Cully’s vital signs in the back of the ambulance and already had a defibrillator out and the pads ready. One shock was all it took to return his heart to a steady rhythm.
“I remember being in a very dark place,” said Ken. “The next thing I know I’m in the ambulance. I said ‘You’ve brought me back, haven’t you?’ You said yes, and I said ‘thank you, ladies’.
“Thanks to your professionalism and expert skills, and the crash team who operated on me at Frimley, I’m still here and able to say thank you in person.”
Ken reunited with Paramedic Millie and Ambulance Associate Practitioner (AAP) Sophia at Godalming ambulance station, just three months after the incident which saw him rushed to hospital and fitted with two stents by the Frimley Park cardiac team.
“We get taught that sometimes people will feel the end is coming and give notice of impending doom, if you like,” said Millie. “I’d never seen that before, but you were sure something was about to happen.”
Sophia said: “It’s beyond words, really, to bring someone back and then get the full circle moment of seeing you now, looking so much better.”
Millie said Ken’s case demonstrated the importance that early recognition, early defibrillation and rapid transfer to specialist hospital treatment all play in providing the best patient outcome after cardiac arrest.
Ken had been alone in his Godalming office on July 30 when he felt pain in his chest. “I’d had pain there before, but this felt worse. I was getting clammy and I thought I should sit down as, being 6ft 3in, it’s a long way to fall if I fainted.”
He was found by Gary Burchill, who had worked in another office in the building and had stopped by to say hello.
“It was crazy lucky that I went in when I did, as I hadn’t popped in for weeks,” said Gary. “I got Ken a glass of water, but just in that time he looked worse and I thought we’ve got to call an ambulance.”
His call meant the SECAmb crew were swiftly on the scene and realised Ken was having a heart attack.
Ken’s colleague Chris Atly had arrived at the office, and was able to assist with the trolley that took Ken to the ambulance.
It was while Ken was in the vehicle outside the office that he went into cardiac arrest. He had nothing but praise for the NHS system, saying that from getting in the ambulance to walking out of hospital had taken a total of just 57 hours.
“I’ve been so lucky. Thank you so much for what you do, otherwise I wouldn’t be here,” said Ken.
Having achieved some of the best out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates in the country, SECAmb aims to keep building on this progress, strengthening the ‘Chain of Survival’ process through its Cardiac Arrest Outcome Improvement Programme.
This focuses on early recognition of cardiac arrest, improving bystander CPR, increasing access to public access defibrillators (PADs) and growing a network of community first responders and volunteers.
To learn how you can make a difference, visit our webpage for lifesaving skills and support at CPR – NHS South East Coast Ambulance Service.