January 12, 2007

Lifesaving training put to the test

When the staff of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab on Blake 9 went through the recertification process for Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Basic Life Support (BLS), staff member Thomas DeWitt, RN, had some trouble with one of the test questions about applying automatic external defibrillator (AED) chest pads. He and his unit instructor Sharon Bossie, RN, together reviewed the instructions and DeWitt passed the test. Little did either know just how important this information soon would become.

The next day, DeWitt traveled to Washington, D.C., taking an early morning flight into Reagan National Airport. Because of the time of day, few people were around. On his way to the baggage claim area, he noticed a man slumped on the floor and
in acute distress. With the traveler turning blue and lapsing into unconsciousness, DeWitt leapt into action and put into practice the very skills he had reviewed the day before. Feeling no pulse, he asked a bystander to retrieve an AED and then began performing CPR. When the AED arrived, DeWitt applied the pads and delivered the advised shock. After another round of CPR, the man began breathing and his pulse returned.

Thanks to DeWitt's quick thinking, the man — a well-known rocket scientist with the U.S. Department of Defense — recovered after a short stay at a local hospital. "I believe recertification and reviewing the changes to the ACLS and BLS are imperative," says DeWitt. "Having the information fresh in my mind obviously helped make a difference that day."