A 17-year-old boy was kept alive by members of the public performing CPR after he went into cardiac arrest.

The teenager was driving a car on a Thursday afternoon when the unexpected incident happened.

It is unclear whether the car had already stopped or the boy stopped the car because something was wrong.

The boy’s sister, Sophie Johnson, thanked everyone who helped him by doing “everything I couldn’t do.”

“I don’t know anyone’s names who helped us, and if it wasn’t for them, he wouldn’t be alive. And he’s only 17.”

The teenage boy was in a critical condition in Wellington Regional Hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) on Friday after earlier being put into an induced coma. 

Wellington Free Ambulance medical director Dr Andy Swain said the actions of the bystanders had undoubtedly saved the boy’s life.

“We would like to take the opportunity to honor the bystander or bystanders who performed CPR and kept the young man alive until our crews arrived with a defibrillator to help,” he said.

“The defibrillator was used twice to restart the heart through application of electric current. This stabilized the patient, allowing the crew to transport him to Wellington Hospital.”

Swain was joined in the ambulance by a flight paramedic. The crew was able to anesthetize the teenager.

“We hope for a healthy and successful outcome so the young man can resume his role and bring joy once again to his family,” Swain said.

“When it comes to cardiac arrest, we send every man and his dog, basically.”

It was great to hear that passersby had rushed to help.

“If you know how to do CPR, then absolutely do it, and keep going until help arrives,” she said

“Doing something is always better than doing nothing.”

According to the Wellington Free Ambulance website, good CPR combined with a defibrillator can increase survival rates by up to 80 per cent.

What was the cause of the Cardiac Arrest?

Dr. Patrick Kay said the three likely potential causes of the boy’s cardiac arrest were a blocked artery, a rhythmic disturbance, or a dissection or split of a major artery.

“It’s exceptionally rare for a 17-year-old to have a cardiac arrest.”

Source: Stuff

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