CPR, AED help save life of futsal player who collapsed in Penang

CPR, AED help save life of futsal player who collapsed in Penang
BUTTERWORTH: A 53-year-old futsal player, who pushed himself too hard and suffered a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), was saved by quick action from a capable bystander on Friday (Aug 18).

His friends saw him collapse during a match, and found that he was not breathing and had no pulse.

But luck was on his side as a bystander at the futsal court in Mak Mandin near here knew cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

The rescuer quickly started performing CPR on the victim at about 10pm Friday while someone else called for an ambulance.

"The victim survived simply because his rescuer started CPR at once.

"If everyone waited for the ambulance, the futsal player would have died," said Penang Heart Safe Society chairman Datuk Dr Luah Lean Wah.

Another man, who learned of the emergency, was Jalan Raja Uda voluntary fire squad member Gee Pin Chiew.

He owns an automated external defibrillator (AED) and immediately rushed to the scene.

"Butterworth needs to be thankful for having a volunteer with his own AED.

"We were told that the AED delivered two electric shocks to the victim," she said.

Dr Luah explained that in an SCA event, the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops pumping and death follows.

Electric shocks delivered by an AED can revive the heart.

"The victim's heart rate and breathing was functioning again after 15 minutes of non-stop CPR, followed by the AED," she said.

Dr Luah said she visited the victim, who is now in the critical care unit in Penang Hospital.

"He is well and stable," she said.