Teenage Lacrosse Player Cardiac Arrest Survivor to Meet His EMS & Chain of Survival Rescuers
On May 23rd, Colby Clay was struck in the chest by a lacrosse ball while on the playing field. Immediately complaining of shortness of breath-he went unresponsive. As his team mates, coaches, athletic trainers quickly recognized his critical state-911 was called, CPR started, quickly followed by use of an AED. Within a few minutes, EMS including ambulance, fire and police, arrived to continue treatment ultimately transporting him to Legacy Emanuel hospital.
On Wednesday, June 20th at 3 pm at Metro West Ambulance in Hillsboro, Colby and his family will have an opportunity to meet and thank so many of his rescuers from all the links in the Chain of Survival that saved his life. Many whom he’s already thanked and many he’ll be meeting for the first time!
Joining us to celebrate a life saved will be Colby’s rescuers including his team mates who started CPR and called 911 to his coach and athletic trainers who placed the AED and delivered the first shock, to the 911 Emergency Dispatcher, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Deputy to the Paramedics and EMT’s from Metro West Ambulance and Hillsboro Fire and Rescue all the way to the his physician, ED and ICU staff from Legacy Emanuel Hospital and Trauma Center. In addition, all of his rescuers will be presented with Chain of Survival challenge coin in recognition of saving a life.
For Colby, the strike to his chest by the lacrosse ball caused commotio cordis, a rare but potentially catastrophic phenomenon, which causes a lethal disruption of the heart rhythm at a critical time during the cycle of the heart beat causing ventricular fibrillation and sudden death. This condition has a high mortality rate because most victims don’t get early access to effective CPR and defibrillation-the two key interventions that can save lives.
We know that all links in the Chain of Survival are critical. We also know that awareness and education in recognizing an emergency is so important. Here in Washington County, when 911 is alerted and CPR and/or AED's are used, survival rates for patients found in shockable rhythms ( Ventricular fibrillation/Ventricular tachycardia) soars to 45%. The national average is around 37%. For commotion cordis, with bystander CPR and AED, survival is 35%, without it, under a 20% survival.
Story Credit: https://www.thelundreport.org/content/teenage-lacrosse-player-cardiac-arrest-survivor-meet-his-ems-chain-survival-rescuers
