This past Wednesday, during National EMS Week, Wake County EMS System recognized 49 survivors from sudden cardiac arrest. Raleigh’s Fletcher auditorium was filled with over 300 people from 911 Telecommunicators, first responders, EMT’s and Paramedics. Several survivors and family members were invited to this year’s program.

Dr. Brent Myers, Medical Director for the Wake EMS System, read the date of each cardiac arrest and recognized the responders with a certificate and award pin.

The keynote speaker for the evening was Mr. Walter Davis, a former paramedic, who told his story of sudden death. “You make a difference” Davis told the crowd as he described his sudden death event, including the 911 call his wife made and the life saving instructions from Emergency Medical Dispatchers. Having been defibrillated by first responders and care provided by paramedics including being cooled using early hypothermia, Davis described what he went through and how thankful he and his family were to his responders.

Earlier in the week, the Wake County Commissioners were presented with next years budget. EMS will begin a specialized program of advanced practice paramedics to add to the experience in cardiac arrest management and other community medical issues.

(05/24/07 — RALEIGH) - Two breaths and 15 compressions. That’s what most are taught when learning CPR, but that could change. Some Wake County paramedics now say skip the rescue breathing, and the success rate proves it’s working.

Seventy-four year old Ben Blalock and Wake County paramedic Larry Barham haven’t been friends long, but they have a very special bond after a fateful meeting in July.
Blalock said he and his wife had stopped at Bo jangle’s for breakfast. At the same time, Barham, who was returning from vacation, also stopped for breakfast.

Blalock collapsed inside the restaurant. He was suffering from a heart attack and went into cardiac arrest.

Barham jumped into action and immediately started CPR. “It was effective,” he said. “He’d start moving his extremities, he’d start opening his eyes.”

But what paramedics say saved Blalock was the type of CPR Barham used. It’s slightly different from traditional CPR.

It’s called compression-only CPR which means you place your hands in the center of the chest and begin compressions uninterrupted until help arrives. Paramedics say it’s simple, easy and saves lives.

Wake County EMS says its resuscitation success rate has almost doubled since it introduced the compression-only technique. They point out that for an inexperienced person, there’s much less to worry about under such stressful circumstances.

Fortunately for Blalock, the technique worked, giving him a new lease on life and a new friend.

Wake County’s not alone in using compression-only CPR. Durham, Orange and Cumberland also recommend it for the general public.

The American Heart Association still officially recommends breathing and compression, but it won’t argue with the success rate of the new approach.

Continous compression CPR Saves Lives

WRAL Health Reporter Dr. Alan Mask interviews Wake EMS’s
Medical Director Brent Myers on the new form of CPR.