Quick thinking and a public access defibrillator saved a life Friday night
The quick response of bystanders at a local baseball field helped save a man’s life and a public access defibrillator made all the difference.
Ottawa paramedics say a man in his 40s collapsed in front of his teammates as they were playing baseball at Brewer Park, near Carleton University, Friday night. One of his teammates is a nurse, who recognized that he was in cardiac arrest. 911 was called and then, after preforming CPR, she used a defibrillator from the Brewer Arena and the man started breathing on his own.
When paramedics arrived, he was speaking in full sentences. He was assessed and taken to hospital in critical but stable condition.
Michelle Farragher of the Ottawa Paramedic Service says sudden cardiac arrest happens to people who are relatively healthy but can have an underlying cardiac rhythm that’s gone undetected.
“This happens frequently enough that the city of Ottawa has invested in over 1,000 defibrillators throughout the city,” Farragher said. “We have theses defibrillators in all of the arenas, libraries and public spaces.”
Farragher says the operation of the defibrillator is simple; you just follow the instructions and let the device guide you.
“As you open the defibrillator and turn it on, it will then walk you through the process.”
Inside of a public access defibrillator, with instructions on its use. (Shaun Vardon / CTV News Ottawa)
The Ottawa Paramedic Public Access Defibrillation (PPAD) Program has helped save 141 lives since it was started in 2001.
'It happened really fast': Nurse at the scene recalls moment teammate collapsed
Katie Hillier, a registered nurse at the Ottawa Hospital, says she was the nurse who used the defibrillator.
She told CTV News Ottawa by phone on Sunday afternoon that it was a double-header of baseball that night when her teammate, whom she called Scott, said he wasn't feeling well.
"He was looking pale and sweaty. I thought at first that his blood sugar was low, but he said he had eaten," Hillier recalled. "It happened really fast. He went limp. I was looking in his eyes and his pupils were dilated."
Hillier said, with the help of some of her teammates, they lowered Scott to the ground while someone else called 911. She began chest compressions while another nurse on the team named Alison provided breath.
"He had a pulse and he was still breathing but he was gasping and starting to turn blue. We knew that even with COVID, he needed the air so we kept it to one of us," she said.
CPR went on for about two minutes before someone arrived with the defibrillator from the Brewer Arena.
"They happened to know there was a defibrillator there. A security guard had to let them in to get it," Hillier said.
Hillier moved to Ottawa from Elliott Lake, where she said she had experience with defibrillators and cardiac arrest patients, so she knew exactly what to do.
"It talks you through it in layman's terms but I didn't wait; I ripped the pads off, put it on, and pressed go," she said. "The adrenaline was pumping for awhile there, but it's kind of another day in my life. It's a muscle memory," she said.
It told her to deliver a shock, so she did. It also said whether or not the chest compressions needed to be harder. The CPR continued until the paramedics arrived. By that time, Scott was coming to and was able to respond to questions.
Hillier said he is recovering in the ICU and is doing well. She credits the defibrillator with saving his life.
"He messaged me to say, 'Without you, I wouldn’t have time with my kids in the future,'" she said.
Hillier said she is fortunate to have had experience as a nurse prior to this event, but added that the public access defibrillators do walk you through the process.
She is encouraging everyone to learn CPR and basic first aid.
"Make sure you know what to do. Be familiar with CPR and basic first aid and educate yourself on basic lifesaving."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.