Cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in America. However, it’s an event that’s survivable with the right intervention and equipment, such as Michigan Instruments’ Life-Stat CPR machine.
This was proven true when Julia Sims, a Greensboro, North Carolina woman, suffered a massive cardiac arrest that was months in the making.
A Perfect Day Turned Into a Nightmare
March 19, 2011, was a beautiful day in Greensboro. The sun was shining and birds were singing; an indicator that spring was arriving early.
It was perfect; that is, until Julia suffered sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
Fortunately, her husband, Jeff, and daughter, Brett, were in the same room when Julia’s arrest hit her. Both immediately sprung into action; Jeff dialed 911 and followed the operator’s instructions on how to manually deliver CPR while Brett assisted.
A Greensboro EMS unit arrived on the scene only four minutes later.
A perfect combination of first-responder manual CPR, AED defibrillation, automated CPR, and modern rescue techniques helped her to survive the incident, but not without 12 field defibrillations and 45 minutes of uninterrupted automated CPR from the Life-Stat device.
“It really was a perfect day,” Julia said. “By the grace of God, I came through.”
Interested in learning more about our Life-Stat automated CPR device? Contact us today.
An Attack Lying in Wait for Months
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), only 8% of cardiac arrest victims survive. It’s even rarer for someone to survive without any adverse effects.
For months prior to her cardiac event, Julia suffered from a wide range of symptoms, such as:
- pressure/pain in the upper back
- exhaustion
- Insomnia
- indigestion
- vomiting
Most people wouldn’t recognize these as being precursors for a heart attack. In fact, Julia’s family didn’t even recognize them.
After multiple health consultations, they believed it was a simple case of the flu and continued to go on about their daily lives.
“I had the symptoms for months and tried every home remedy I could find,” Julia said. “But after two doctors told me I was fine, I stopped worrying.”
That was, until March 19, 2011.
Interested in learning more about our Life-Stat automated CPR device? Contact us today.
Dedicated to Educating Women About The Symptoms of Cardiac Arrest
Julia walked away from the experience alive, healthy, and on a mission. Today, her goal is to educate others on cardiac arrest causes and symptoms.
Most people imagine the symptoms of a heart attack to be sharp pressure, pain in your left arm, heaviness in the chest, a feeling of extreme exhaustion, etc.
While these are typical symptoms that arise in men, Julia’s symptoms are classic in women. However, they are seldom mentioned in standard health education courses or talked about in everyday life.
Julia believes that her outcome is due largely to Greensboro EMS. They hold a save rate higher than the national average, due to their competence, knowledge, and usage of mechanical CPR devices such as the Life-Stat.
Read more User/Survivor Stories from the Life-Stat here.
Life Stat CPR Machine Proven to Save Lives
While continuing education around cardiac arrest and heart health is important, manual CPR pales in comparison overall to uninterrupted, mechanical CPR.
This is why Michigan Instruments is a proven partner of many hospitals and EMS units across the country. Our Life-Stat CPR machine is the only one on the market today that meets 2015 AHA CPR guidelines for both chest compression and ventilation, thus providing patients with their best chance at survival.
Learn more about our automated CPR devices and how they can be used in both hospital and pre-hospital settings. Contact us today.
Blog Image: Phillips Heartstart, “Julia Needed More Than Just CPR”, 2020, via savingamericanhearts.com
