	E-MAIL THIS
	PRINT THIS
	MOST POPULAR

December 5th, 2008

Fast Actions Saves Student’s Life

Culinary Institute of America staff were recognized by the American Heart Association for their role in saving the life of 18-year old CIA student Douglas Chrisman. Shown left to right, heroes Kelly O’Connor, RN, and campus safety officers Carl Wilson and Lyle Burnett; student Douglas Chrisman and his parents, Sherri Chrisman and Dale Chrisman.

The American Heart Association honored two campus safety officers and a registered nurse at the Culinary Institute of America for acting quickly to save the life of a freshman student who collapsed due to sudden cardiac arrest.

Kelly O’Connor, RN, Carl Wilson and Lyle Burnett, the heroes who saved the life of an 18-year old student from Missouri on Monday, December 1^st, performed CPR and used an automated external defibrillator (AED). These hometown heroes were recognized for their willingness to take action in a life-or-death situation.

After CIA student Douglas Chrisman collapsed, Chef Martin Frei called the Safety Office to initiate the “chain of survival” and a student ran to the Health Services office to summon a nurse. Within a minute, these first responders, trained in CPR, assessed that CPR was necessary. The two performed CPR until another safety officer arrived with an AED, automatic external defibrillator. The device delivered a shock to the student and he was revived. Alamo ambulance arrived on the scene and transported the student to St. Francis Hospital.

Testing is still being done to determine the root cause of the cardiac arrest but the student had an internal defibrillator surgically implanted this week at Vassar Brothers Medical Center.

“The American Heart Association is proud to honor the heroes and survivors of sudden cardiac arrest,” said Michele Lieberman, Emergency Cardiovascular Care Community Strategies Manager, “These heroes are ordinary people who used a few simple skills to achieve something extraordinary — they saved lives. Today, these Heartsavers are the heroes, but all Hudson Valley residents can easily become tomorrow’s Heartsavers by knowing to call 911 and be ready to perform CPR.”

Chef Martin Frei’s class was also recognized as was the Culinary Institute of America for creating an environment to help improve chances of survival in cases of sudden cardiac arrest.

Chrisman’s parents flew to New York from Missouri after learning of their son’s sudden cardiac arrest. They were on hand to thank to the rescuers and take part in the recognition.

“This is that call you never want to receive as a parent,” said Dale Chrisman, the student’s father who thanked all of the students and rescuers for pulling together to save his son’s life, “My birthday was yesterday and this was the greatest gift I could’ve asked for.”

Surrounded by his fellow classmates, rescuers and CIA staff, Douglas Chrisman, his class’ team leader, said all he wanted to do was get back to his team. “I don’t remember a lot of what happened, I just remember that I wanted to get back to my group. I just wanted to back to school, to this classroom,” said an emotional Chrisman, “Thank you guys so much for letting me get back here quick.” The future chef also praised the nurses and doctors who cared for him adding, “They gave me lots of food that I wanted.”

The Culinary Institute was the site of Dutchess County government’s kickoff of the HEARTSafe Initiative just over a year ago. Since then, the CIA has promoted CPR training and AED placement to become a “HEARTSafe” Company. The HEARTSafe program’s aim is to improve the chances of survival for anyone suffering from sudden cardiac arrest. It encourages businesses, educational institutions, municipalities and community organizations to establish the proper training and procedures for staff, personnel and volunteers to address cardiac emergencies, including early activation of the 911 system, CPR training and AED access.

Sudden cardiac arrest is most often caused by an irregular heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation. This irregular rhythm causes the heart’s electrical impulses to become chaotic, causing the victim to collapse and stop breathing normally. Unless a normal heart rhythm is restored, death will follow in a matter of minutes. The American Heart Association estimates that for every minute without defibrillation, a person’s chances of survival decreases by 7 percent to 10 percent.

Each year, more than 310,000 people across the country die from coronary heart disease before reaching a hospital or in an emergency room. Most of those deaths result from sudden cardiac arrest and 75 percent to 80 percent occur at home. When the arrest occurs outside the hospital setting, most victims die because CPR and defibrillation were not provided, or were provided too late. Less than a third of sudden cardiac arrest victims receive CPR when they need it. Effective CPR can help make the difference between life and death, buying valuable time and increasing the likelihood that the victim can successfully be defibrillated by an electric shock.

The American Heart Association is the recognized leader in resuscitation science and training. The AHA’s nationwide network of CPR training facilities for health professionals and lay people ensure that early cardiac care is available in every community.