BUTTERWORTH: A 53-year-old futsal player, who pushed himself too hard and suffered a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), was saved by a quick-thinking bystander on Friday (Aug 18).
His friends saw him collapse during a match, and found that he was not breathing and had no pulse.
But luck was on his side as a bystander at the futsal court in Mak Mandin near here knew cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
The rescuer quickly started performing CPR on the victim at about 10pm Friday while someone else called for an ambulance.
“The victim survived simply because his rescuer started CPR at once.
“If everyone waited for the ambulance, the futsal player would have died,” said Penang Heart Safe Society chairman Datuk Dr Luah Lean Wah.
Another man, who learned of the emergency, was Jalan Raja Uda voluntary fire squad member Gee Pin Chiew.
He owns an automated external defibrillator (AED) and immediately rushed to the scene.
“Butterworth needs to be thankful for having a volunteer with his own AED.
“We were told that the AED delivered two electric shocks to the victim,” she said.
Dr Luah explained that in an SCA event, the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops pumping and death follows.
Electric shocks delivered by an AED can revive the heart.
“The victim’s heart rate and breathing was functioning again after 15 minutes of non-stop CPR, followed by the AED,” she said.
Dr Luah said she visited the victim, who is now in the critical care unit in Penang Hospital.
“He is well and stable,” she said.
In Butterworth, a 53-year-old futsal player experienced a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) after pushing himself too hard. Fortunately, a quick-thinking bystander managed to save his life on Friday (Aug 18). The player collapsed during a match, catching his friends’ attention who found him not breathing and having no pulse.
Luck seemed to be on his side as a bystander at the futsal court in Mak Mandin, near Butterworth, knew cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Without wasting any time, the rescuer immediately initiated CPR on the victim around 10 pm on Friday while another person called for an ambulance.
“The victim survived simply because his rescuer started CPR at once. If everyone waited for the ambulance, the futsal player would have died,” stated Penang Heart Safe Society chairman, Datuk Dr Luah Lean Wah. Another individual who learned about the emergency was Gee Pin Chiew, a voluntary fire squad member from Jalan Raja Uda. He owned an automated external defibrillator (AED) and rushed to the scene as soon as possible.
“Butterworth needs to be thankful for having a volunteer with his own AED. We were told that the AED delivered two electric shocks to the victim,” she said. Dr Luah further explained that during an SCA event, the heart suddenly stops pumping, leading to imminent death. However, electric shocks administered by an AED can reestablish a regular heart rhythm.
“The victim’s heart rate and breathing began to function again after 15 minutes of non-stop CPR, followed by the AED,” she added. Dr Luah had also visited the victim, who was currently receiving critical care treatment at Penang Hospital. She mentioned that he was in a stable condition and doing well.
Overall, this incident highlights the importance of immediate action during a sudden cardiac arrest, emphasizing the significance of individuals with CPR knowledge and access to AEDs. In this case, the quick response and AED usage by the bystander played a crucial role in saving the futsal player’s life.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
