Cardiac arrest patient case study -
Steve Hodder
Steve Hodder, 55, was about to board a train
at London Bridge rail station when his heart stopped beating and he
collapsed on the platform. He had suffered a cardiac arrest.
Steve was lucky. There are eight
defibrillators placed around London Bridge rail station. These
machines deliver a shock to restart a person’s heart. Network Rail
Station Officer Eddie McDermott was on duty that day, and was
trained to use a defibrillator.
Eddie reached Steve within a couple of minutes
and started to use a defibrillator to shock his heart. When
Motorcycle Paramedic Jez Loseby arrived a couple of minutes later,
Steve’s heart was beating again.
Steve said: “I really don’t remember anything
of the day, just waking up in hospital sometime afterwards. If it
hadn’t been for Eddie’s prompt action and his ability to use a
defibrillator, and the care given by the ambulance staff, I
wouldn’t be here today.”
Eddie added: “If it wasn’t for the
public defibrillator and the London Ambulance Service training me
to use it, I wouldn’t have been able to save Steve’s life. I think
there should be more of them in London and more people trained in
how to use them."