​The Life-Saving Skill You Need

Brothers’ CPR skills saved youngest In time

PULSE Issue 39 | June 2022

One 16-year-old teenager owes his life to his two older brothers who helped to save him through Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) when he suffered a sudden heart attack at home. Adam* was the youngest of three brothers and also the fittest in his family – adopting a healthy life-style by playing sports, going to the gym regularly, and choosing to eat a healthy diet. Hence, it was a shock for the family when he suddenly collapsed at home on a weekend afternoon after a session at the gym. Fortunately for Adam, his brothers, John* and Michael*, happened to be home at that time and had learnt CPR from their school and work respectively. 22-year-old Michael had completed the basic certification the year before, during his national service training, while 19-year-old John completed a basic course a few years back as part of his school’s extracurricular activity. Both had never used their skills before but immediately jumped into action, and applied what they learnt in an attempt to resuscitate their unconscious brother. 

“One of us was on the phone with the 995 emergency response while the other kept performing CPR as we anxiously waited for the paramedics to arrive,” said John. “We thought we were losing him and were desperately recalling all our CPR knowledge and skills to hopefully save him.” 

When Adam arrived at the hospital, he was in a very critical state and was quickly put on the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine. Doctors also cooled Adam’s body to reduce injury to his brain. Many healthcare personnel were activated to ensure immediate help was rendered to Adam, depending on how his situation turned out. Surgeons, cardiologists, and specialist nurses all formed part of his medical team, constantly monitoring his vital signs while he was in intensive care. 

“Our first good sign came after 48 hours when Adam’s heart began to beat steadily, indicating that his body may have recovered and this allowed us to report back to his parents with some good news,” said Asst. Prof Ramanathan K.R., Senior Consultant, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS), National University Heart Centre, Singapore (NUHCS). Five days later, Adam’s recovery progressed further and he could be moved off the ECMO machine. As his doctors investigated the cause behind his cardiac arrest, his body continued its slow progressive recovery and whilst being cared for by the intensive care unit during his inpatient rehabilitation. 

“In retrospect, his brothers’ immediate CPR played a key role in keeping him alive,” said A/Prof Yip Wei Luen James, Centre Director and Senior Consultant, NUHCS. Finally, on the 10th day, he regained consciousness and was able to be discharged from the hospital. “It was a scary nightmare for our family,” said John. “Having him with us today is a miracle.” Michael concurred, “It was just pure coincidence that both of us had learnt CPR before, and were both at home when he collapsed. We actually never anticipated that we would use CPR on anyone but clearly, this is a life-saving skill. Everyone should at least learn the basics of it because you will never know when you may need it.”

*Names have been changed to protect the identity and privacy of the family.

LEARN CPR 

Some training centres provide a free basic course with pointers on hands-only CPR and how to use an AED during an emergency. There are many advanced courses where you can get guidance from an instructor with hands-on practice on a mannequin, and qualify for a certification with a validity of 2 years. 

Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF) 

SHF Virtual Restart A Heart (RAH) Programme is a simplified course conducted online for free. The course provides basic pointers on how to identify a heart attack, how to perform hands-only CPR, and the use of an AED. Advanced and practical courses are available with certification given to participants upon successful completion. For more information, visit www.myheart.org.sg. 

Costs: Free for RAH Programme; advanced courses start from $64.20 for new participants or $48.15 for repeat participants. 

To Register: Call 6354 9379/55 or email [email protected]

Singapore Red Cross Academy 

Singapore Red Cross Academy organises several first aid and life support courses, including learning to perform CPR with the use of an AED machine. Their 2-hour CPR+AED Awareness workshop is conducted in-person in a classroom setting. For more information, visit www.redcross.sg/learn. Costs: $30 for CPR+AED Awareness workshop; Accredited courses start from $60. To register: call 80787017, or email [email protected].

Singapore Emergency Responder Academy (SERA) 

SERA’s CPR+AED course comprises a 1-hour online theory session and a 2-hour in-person practical assessment. Upon successful completion, participants will receive an e-certificate valid for 2 years. Other courses with first aid skills and certification are also available at SERA. 

 Costs: Starts from $74.90 for CPR+AED Course 

To Register: Register online, call 6866 0663, or email [email protected] 

To search for more training classes, visit Singapore Resuscitation and First Aid Council’s (SRFAC) website (at srfac.sg/directory/training-centre), and search for accredited training centres with the “BCLS+AED” certification.