Shock Therapy: Expecting people to jump-start the hearts of their fellow citizens sounds crazy. But it's working

摘要

Athletic trainer Pam Riddle was working with a client at the Boston Sports Club this past March when a member told her someone a few feet away "didn't look too good." She found the man, 61-year-old Art Garofalo, slumped over a stretching machine in a state of sudden cardiac arrest. Riddle sent someone to call 911, then checked to see if Garofalo was breathing: He wasn't. While she began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), another trainer, Scott Molgard, ran up with a portable heart defibrillator-a compact, user-friendly version of the machine seen on shows such as ER. Molgard adhered the shock pads to Garofalo's chest and pushed the orange button. His body jumped "just like on television," Riddle says. "I saw his carotid artery quivering. That's when I knew his heart was beating again."