Successful Resuscitation – Clare

7 January 2015

On Friday 2^ndJanuary whilst covering a duty in Ennis, members of Clare Civil Defence were requested to assist Ennis Gardaí who were dealing with a suspected heroine overdose in Dunnes Stores.  Due to the lack of availability of a crew from the National Ambulance Service, a Garda Sergeant contacted Civil Defence Officer, Noel Carmody to request assistance as the patient in question was unresponsive and believed to be in cardiac arrest.  Mr Carmody attended the incident accompanied by two Civil Defence Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) who were on duty at the Queen’s Hotel covering a teenage disco as part of an initiative that Clare Civil Defence are involved in with the local Gardaí.

On arrival the Civil Defence personnel discovered that the patient was in respiratory arrest with a very weak pulse.  The EMT’s immediately set to work in securing the patient’s airway, administering assisted ventilations with a Bag Valve Mask (BVM) and attaching defibrillation pads in anticipation of a cardiac arrest.  Both worked extremely efficiently and professionally and as a result of their quick and decisive action the patient was successfully resuscitated.  On the arrival of the National Ambulance Service the patient was fully responsive.  The EMT’s handed over the patient to the National Ambulance Service crew and she was transported to the Emergency Department in Limerick Regional Hospital.  She was released from the hospital the following morning.

Civil Defence Officer, Noel Carmody who was employed as an Advanced Paramedic prior to commencing in his current role is in no doubt that the actions of the two Civil Defence EMT’s saved the life of the individual in question.

Truly a success story involving dedicated volunteers of the organisation.

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