3 Shvat, 5779
I was with some friends last evening and one of them suddenly looked rather ill. A doctor, he was feeling weak, dizzy, and a bit nauseated. He seemed to be struggling to breathe.
I asked permission to feel his face and neck to check for clammy skin. It was dry and warm to the touch.
I asked if his left arm felt painful. He was slow to respond "No, my stomach bothers me." My concern grew.
He turned quite pale. I gave him a precautionary aspirin to chew on and asked "Doctor, you know what I'm doing and why, don't you?" He nodded.
He was showing signs of a pending heart attack or one in progress.
I told him that he needs to be examined by an emergency room doctor.
Short story: he's okay, just overtired from too much stress and excessive work hours. It was not a heart attack.
Folks, I was following the instructions that I'd learned in a CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) course. It is important to know how to respond calmly and capably in a time of suspected medical emergency. PLEASE seek out such a class for yourselves. You might end up saving a life or two.
PS - The doctor called to thank me for checking him. He knew exactly what I'd suspected the whole time and appreciated that someone could have saved his life on the spot if necessary.
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1 comment:
You gave the right advice.
Fatal heart attacks are usually because people pooh poohed symptoms as benign stomach upsets or other harmless conditions.
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