Bystander training on spotting and using defibrillators can greatly improve cardiac arrest survival, but many people don’t know what to do.

When a woman collapsed on an escalator at the Buffalo airport last June, Phil Clough knew what to do. He and another bystander put her flat on her back and checked her pulse and her breathing. Then she stopped breathing altogether. Realizing that she might be having a cardiac arrest, Clough immediately started doing chest compressions, pressing hard and quickly on the center of her chest, while others nearby called 911 and ran to get an automated external defibrillator. Within seconds of receiving a shock from the AED, the woman opened her eyes. By the time the airport rescue team arrived a few minutes later, she was conscious and able to talk with rescuers.

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Specially-trained, on-the-ground resources provided by local public safety agencies round out the initiative.

Many factors contribute to the psychological distress a lay responder may experience after witnessing a sudden cardiac arrest. These include the unknown or fatal outcome of the patient, the stressful and disorienting environment of a life-threatening medical emergency, self-doubt regarding preparedness or performance, and the once-in-a-lifetime nature of this type of event. Through a new mental health initiative, PulsePoint is providing focused mental health resources to responders after a cardiac arrest “CPR-needed” alert.

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