North Carolina Woman Revived After 46-Minute Cardiac Arrest
Mary Robinson Recovers in Mission Hospital, Among Top 5 Percent of Patients to Survive Cardiac Arrest
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October 10, 2011Last spring, Mary Robinson, 64, collapsed in her home and suffered a cardiac arrest, reports Citizen Times.
When her husband, Lloyd, saw Robinson collapse while she prepared dinner, he immediately called 911. 911 Telecommunicators Stacy Cline and Derek Carlson gave Lloyd Robinson CPR instructions over the phone. He compressed his wife’s chest until first responders arrived within five minutes.
The odds of surviving a cardiac arrest are approximately 5 percent. “According to the odds, Mary really shouldn’t be here,” said Frank Castelblanco, Director of Cardiac Emergencies at Mission Hospital.
However, by calling 911, Lloyd Robinson saved his wife’s life. According to Castelblanco, calling 911 is “he most important thing, the first thing I would urge people to do if they see someone collapse.”
The paramedics started cooling Robinson’s body to protect her brain from damage, inducing therapeutic hypothermia. Since 2008, McDowell paramedics have used the procedure on 38 patients, with 10 suffering no brain damage.
After 72 hours, Robinson regained consciousness and had no neurological deficits.
Robinson spent almost three weeks in Intensive Care and surgery. “I am so thankful to all the paramedics and the people at the hospital who didn’t give up on me,” she told the source.New Research Helps You Understand Your Heart Attack Risk
