For Allen Wilson of Glenwood, Mo., July 30, 2010, was a day he planned to spend with his wife, Judy, who was about to undergo surgery at University Hospital to remove a benign brain tumor.
However their roles on that day changed quickly and without warning.
Wilson had just left his wife and went to the surgery waiting area on third floor. Suddenly he suffered a massive heart attack and collapsed.
Within seconds Joe Johnson, R.N., a member of University Hospital’s Tiger Team, a rapid response emergency medical team, was at Wilson’s side with others to revive him. Team members administered CPR on Wilson for more than 30 minutes until he finally regained a pulse.
“Having a rapid response team like we have here at University Hospital made Mr. Wilson’s survival possible,” said Johnson.
“The initial CPR within the first four to six minutes helped move the blood and kept the brain oxygenated. My role was to achieve intravenous access so we could administer advanced cardiac life support medications, which helped revive him.”
Reviewed 2013-02-18