Someone Fainted With Eyes Open And Unresponsive

[phleb]

went blue in the face, and stopped breathing. I checked Airways and breathing....he was not breathing, pulse was weak, i could barely feel it! Did i do right think commencing CPR, ambulance crew said i did really well, and i may have saved his life... but patients family say i over reacted! i feel terrible being treated like this. When he came round he did not know where he was, he was confused and very grey in the face. ECG was abnormal initially, but improved during the day. What happened to him. He says he has no heart conditions. He takes no drugs, nor drinks alcohol.

Im very deflated by the whole situation, first time i had to react in such a way. His family keep making me look stupid.

[bednobs]

it sounds like he had had a respiratory arrest and not a cardiac arrest. However, the worst thing you can do is nothinng

[rojash]

"ambulance crew said i did really well, and i may have saved his life"

That's the bit that counts.

[factor-fiction]

They would probably have complained if you'd done nothing instead. I know it's hard but I'd ignore what the family have said if your colleagues say you did the right thing

[sherrardk]

The paramedics said you did well so you must have done a good job, ignore the family, they were probably just a bit frightened.

[phleb]

It happened at my house.

[woofgang]

Fear and shock makes people say stupid things phleb.

[phleb]

They are my in laws, and don't like me anyway. So saying that was to upset me and it worked. I can't sleep at night, im so depressed.

[shoota]

Better to over-react than to under-react IMO.
Well done.

[sherrardk]

Good grief Phleb, what were you doing before he collapsed (I assumed I were taking his blood at work). Only joking, bloke's still alive so I don't know what his family is moaning about.

[sherrardk]

^ you were

[woofgang]

people can only make you feel bad if you co operate with them phleb. Tell the inlaws to shove it.

[stewey]

Hopefully, because of your actions, the patient is now normal; however, I have little hope of the family regaining normality if that was their response to your decision to act as you did...Well done.

[furrypusscat]

A lot of people would freeze and do nothing. You do what your instinct tells you in that situation. Ignore any adverse comments and feel proud that you did what you did. Don't let it put you off should you need to react in a similar situation. Well done.

[phleb]

Thanks so much guys, i feel so much better after reading your comments. xx

[phleb]

" Don't let it put you off should you need to react in a similar situation"

you read my mind furry x

[bednobs]

unless of course it's the in laws that collapse, feel free to freeze then!

[sherrardk]

I would have frozen or panicked (if there had been blood involved I would have fainted too), again, well done!

[flump1]

Oh phleb, what with the shock of the episode you dealt with you don't need negative remarks from family. As has been said before people react in different ways when afraid, maybe they were in denial as to what happened through fear ? You did well . These things can happen so suddenly to apparently fit, healthy people. Chin up xx

[RATTER15]

I attempted resuscitation once, I worked on this lady for over twenty minutes, she was dead. It turned out she had a burst blood vessel in her head and nothing I done was going to save her. I can sleep well knowing I done everything in my power to try to save her, I know now that it was futile but I could not have lived with myself if I had done nothing!

You certainly done the right thing!

[237SJ]

Latest rules on CPR now are that you look and feel for NORMAL breathing. If not normal or no breathing, you start CPR so yes, you did the right thing.