Shanghai doctor on business trip uses CPR to resuscitate young woman

A local doctor on a business trip saved the life of a young woman, who fainted and lost consciousness at an airport shuttle bus in Lanzhou airport, officials from Shanghai's Ruijin Hospital said on Tuesday.

Dr Li Haiqing, a cardiac surgeon at Shanghai's Ruijin Hospital, said he heard someone cry out that a person had fainted on the shuttle bus for a trip back to Shanghai on Saturday evening and he rushed to the woman in her 20s, who was having convulsion and didn't respond to calls.

"According to my experience, it was very likely a heart arrest caused by serious arrhythmia," said Li, who checked the woman's pulse and confirmed she had no breath, no consciousness, and no pulse.

Heart arrest is one of most fatal medical conditions but, by receiving cardio-pulmonary resuscitation within one minute, the success rate of recovery is 90 percent. The rate drops by 10 percent for each subsequent minute before CPR. The first four minutes is the most crucial for saving a patient, and is called the golden four minutes.

Li started CPR immediately, while asking the shuttle bus driver to call for an ambulance .

The woman started to regain a heart beat two minutes later and regained consciousness after receiving CPR for three minutes.

Li said he cried while the woman woke up, because he had pulled the life of a young person back from death successfully.

He stayed with the woman until an ambulance arrived 10 minutes later and explained her condition to the doctor on board, urging that the woman receive a brain CT scan, electrocardiograph, and heart ultrasound after arriving at the hospital.

The plane was delayed by the incident for 20 minutes as passengers and crew waited for Li.

While he entered the aircraft, all his fellow passengers greeted Li with applause.

"Time is life. It is so real for saving someone with cardiac arrest. The rescue skill is cultivated through repeated practice in a clinical operation," Li said. "Since most accidents take place outside a hospital, it is important to promote first aid skills such as CPR among the public. Many passengers wanted to help the woman, but had no idea how to help her."

Ti Gong

Tips for CPR

Why is CPR important?

One person falls to the ground due to cardiac arrest every minute somewhere in the world and 87 percent of incidents take place outside a hospital. The first four minutes is the golden time for resuscitation, or the person's brain is likely to suffer irreversible damage.

What symptoms call for CPR?

CPR is suitable for patients with breathing and heartbeat arrest due to reasons such as an acute heart attack, stroke, serious trauma, shock, downing, poisoning, or crushing injuries.

Before doing CPR, it is important to confirm there is no heartbeat and no breathing, or only exhaling without inhaling air.

What you can do if you think CPR is needed?

Step 1: Assess the situation and check for responsiveness.

Step 2: Call for help, look for an AED and call 120 for an ambulance.

Step 3: Ensure the airway is open and check for breathing.

Step 4: If you have been trained in CPR, begin.

NOTE: Performing CPR requires training and regular practise. Check with your local medical facilities to learn if training is available in your community.