Medic puts training to use, helps save life

Published June 20, 2008
By Senior Airman Carl Berry
434th ARW Public Affairs

GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind., -- Attention, attention we have a code blue in the parking lot; we have a code blue in the parking lot...

For many a code blue does not mean anything, but for medical professionals this means someone has stopped breathing.

Staff Sgt. Jimi Szczesny, 434th Aerospace Medicine Squadron medical technician, recently experienced a code blue not on an Air Force installation, but at his civilian occupation, a methadone treatment center in Indiana.

According to Sergeant Szczesny, he arrived to work on a Thursday morning during May and began preparing for the day as usual. He had been at work all of five minutes, when security came to the front door and said that there was a code blue in the parking lot, he said.

Without panicking, Sergeant Szczesny explained he followed the treatment centers protocol and contacted a nurse. From there he and the nurse and the clinical supervisor proceeded to the parking lot where they found a male still in his vehicle not breathing, he added.

"The clinical supervisor checked the patients pulse and could tell his pulse was weakening," said the sergeant. "Realizing the patient was near death I suggested to the nurse that we should begin performing (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)."

Not wanting to move the patient, who was still in the driver seat of his vehicle, Sergeant Szczesny said they lowered the seat until the patient was completely horizontal.

"The nurse administered two breaths and I followed with 30 compressions, he stated. "We continued to perform this procedure for about five minutes before the fire department arrived.

"When the fire department arrived the patient was still not breathing," he said. "We then decided to remove the patient from his vehicle and place him on a backboard, so that the rescue crew would have more room to work."

Upon removing the patient the rescue crew applied a bag valve mask, and within seconds the patient was revived, stated the sergeant. You could actually see the victim's skin color change from blue to his natural complexion, he added.

"The patient was then rushed to a hospital for follow-up examinations," reported Sergeant Szczesny. "I am happy to say that the patient has had a full recovery and doing well."

The sergeant credits his training from 434 AMDS to the success of this incident.
"It was through my constant training with the Air Force that I was able to perform the tasks correctly," said Sergeant Szczesny. "I had no hesitation; I knew exactly what to do and when to do it."

"All members of the 434 AMDS are required to maintain a valid American Heart Association CPR card," said Maj. Rita Mullen, 434 AMDS staff development officer. "Air Force policy states that all medical service members must be re-certified once every two years."

Although saving lives is not a norm for the sergeant, he said his training allowed him the ability and aptitude to do so.

Never underestimate the training you receive, because you never know when you will be called upon to use your acquired skills, said Major Mullen. Whether it is for wartime situations or for circumstances aforementioned, as Airmen we should always be prepared, she added.

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Training pays off

Medic puts training to use, helps save life

Public Affairs Staff