Tim Hoffman Went Into Cardiac Arrest at Work and Woke Up In The Hospital

Tim Hoffman Went Into Cardiac Arrest at Work and Woke Up In The Hospital

October 3rd of 2013 began like any other day. I woke up, got ready and went to work. Little did anyone know what was about to happen. While working on a vehicle I began to feel a little off. It was close to lunch time so I put down my tools, washed my hands and sat at my tool box to eat lunch, just like I do almost every day. The next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital in a total state of confusion with doctors, nurses, family and friends surrounding me. All in disbelief (myself included) and all so happy to see me awake.

https://youtu.be/AQZRfewHvLo

I was told that I went into sudden cardiac arrest at work, I fell on the floor and was displaying the usual signs of convulsions, agonal breathing and unresponsiveness. A coworker heard the commotion and ran to me, recognized the signs and began immediate bystander CPR while another coworker called 911. I was given bystander CPR for approximately 5 minutes until the local police and EMT’s showed up and took over. I was then given a single shock from an AED and my pulse came back and returned to a normal rhythm. I was dead for 7 minutes! From that point, I was rushed to the hospital and put into therapeutic hypothermia. A controlled coma technique used to save brain function after being without oxygen rich blood for a long period of time.

Thanks to bystander CPR, a call to 911 and a nearby AED my life was saved. The therapeutic hypothermia saved my brain function as well and I have made a full recovery.