A GROUP of heart attack survivors have praised the role of local community response teams who helped keep them alive until advanced paramedic teams and ambulance personnel could arrive to assist.
Six survivors of cardiac incidents highlighted the importance of early defibrillation when they attended a ceremony in Clonakilty, Co Cork, last week where 14 volunteer “first responders” were presented with certificates by Minister for Health Mary Harney.
Among those who spoke was UCD advanced paramedic tutor Brian Bruno, from Roscrea, Co Tipperary, who collapsed while teaching paramedics about defibrillation at the HSE Ambulance Centre in Cork city and was “defibbed” by those attending the course.
“When I collapsed with a cardiac arrest, some of the paramedics thought it was part of the scenario, but then they realised something was wrong and I was in Cork University Hospital within 20 minutes.
“My experience highlights the need not just for the advanced skills, but you do need something like the community response team to keep you going, to keep the pump going until the ambulance arrives,” he said.
Fellow survivor Kieran Corcoran from Rochestown also spoke of his experience of being treated by community responders trained in defibrillation.
“I know I am the luckiest man alive today.
“I was driving back from Limerick with my wife on a wet winter’s evening when I felt unwell and pulled over to the side of the road – I didn’t know it at the time but I had a blood clot,” said Mr Corcoran.
“A trained first responder, Mary O’Callaghan, just happened to be driving by and she worked with the guards who had been called and, using their defibrillator, shocked me at the side of the road, without doubt, saving my life,” he said.
Ms Harney pointed out the importance of such initiatives, given that some 5,000 people die each year in Ireland from sudden cardiac death.
“With 70 per cent of cardiac arrests occurring outside of hospital, the response of the local community first responder is crucial as they can get to the patient very quickly,” Ms Harney said.