CPR & police letting me know

[Beansandcheesearegood]

had to do CPR on a collapsed man today. I'm not hopeful. Police said they'd let me know outcome. Still not heard anything shall I ring local police station or just wait? Been about 5 hours. Poor man, he was alone too.

It took several weeks for my DSIS to hear an update when she had to do CPR at a road accident. Hope you are ok.

OP, he wasnt alone, he had a good kind person trying to help him (you). Be kind to yourself.

I had a call from the police a few hours later afterwards. I hope you're ok, I found it very difficult and it took me a while to get over it. I kept reliving it and felt very guilty that I hadn't done enough even though logically I knew I had done.

In my case the police passed my number to his wife and she rang me that night to thank me for stopping 😢. They did check first that I was ok with it.

Take care and be kind to yourself xx

I'd ring. No offence but in everything else that is going on ringing you wi t be a priority.
I hope you're ok, that must have been very difficult for you x

Thanks all. First time I've had to do it so a bit shocked. I totally get that the police officer won't have me as a priority to ring, but yes @Iamanunsafebuilding I'm reliving it- I think I heard his rib crack which is horrendous, I'm questioning what else I should have done.

I never did hear back in the same situation.
Well done for stopping and helping and giving this man the best possible chance.

The rib crack shows you were doing exactly what you needed to do. CPR is brutal, especially when done correctly. Well done and thank you

Well done for stopping and trying to help OP. You did everything you could to help. Cracked ribs feel horrible, but this often happens during CPR and ultimately trying to keep the blood moving is more important than a cracked rib.

Do you have someone to talk to?

@Saintmariesleuth I do thanks. Unfortunately I had my children with me, so that's not good for them. My husband is here.

I've emailed station for update and will ring tomorrow if I dobt hear from them.

Thanks all

You did everything you could for him, cracking of ribs normal when doing CPR. I have had to do it a few years ago, sadly they passed away. Hopefully you will hear soon.

Well done. You gave him a chance, which he wouldn't have had without you. My Dad died from a massive heart attack, some people did CPR on him, but he died. Even if they didn't do it perfectly, they did their best & that's all you can ask of anyone.

so, whether he makes it or not, you did your very best & that's what counts. You stepped up when others wouldn't have or wouldn't have been able to.

if he's made it through, cracked ribs are a small price to pay!!

how old are your kids?

Even healthcare professionals that are trained and do CPR regularly as part of their role find it emotional and upsetting. So please allow yourself your feelings and don't feel any shame or silliness about this being a big deal, a trauma for you. Professionals have the benefit of debriefing and you haven't.

Second please remember that nearly.all CPR "fails". Most people in the position of receiving CPR are and will remain dead. That is the most likely outcome here, very sadly and it not a reflection at all on anything you could or should have done. This person was lucky to receive the chance of CPR at all. It's very brave to put yourself out there doing something so scary and traumatic that you have never tried before.

Lastly, because someone has died (if they indeed have), does not make your efforts pointless. It is of immeasurable value to loved ones that someone was there, someone cared, and someone tried to give them a chance. You will have made a really massive difference whether this person survives or not.

On the flipside, if they have survived, that doesn't mean you will feel happy or light about what has happened. It is still deeply traumatic and you will need to process it and will have mixed emotions - back to point one.

Best of luck and I hope you hear something soon xxx

Without sounding harsh OP, if he did sadly pass, he certainly did not do that alone; he had an incredible person there with him (you!) trying everything you could to save him. Whatever the outcome, if I was his relative I'd feel massively heartened that a stranger had done so much.

Hoping for good news but well done for doing what you did x

Thank you OP for stepping in and assisting. I hope you get an update on his condition. My dad collapsed in public 20 years ago and had 3 people give initial BLS sadly he passed but we are forever grateful for their efforts 💖 we sent cards to them through the police to say thank you

Well done, whatever the outcome you did your best.

This is a lovely post from someone who knows what they are talking about x

@Beansandcheesearegood it was the first time I've ever done CPR and it was not nice. I was on an early morning run and I found him in the road, he'd been scraping his car. It honestly took me a while to get over it, he did pass away and in reality he was gone when I found him but I dialled 999 and did the CPR while I waited for the cavalry.

I found the British Heart Foundation website helpful and I do have an employee support line I could have used but I chose not to. I did tell my team a couple of weeks after because my emotions were close to the surface and I was snappier than usual and I owed them an explanation. Tbh that helped me.

You did a kind, generous and brave thing and you should be proud of yourself for doing it xx

There is a very supportive group on Facebook called Chain of Survival, you may find it helpful if you use Facebook at all.

Well done OP. I’m sorry, such an awful thing to have to do. The rib sounds as if you really did do an effective a CPR as possible which is wonderful- as others say when it’s really done properly it can (and should) be brutal, it’s a fierce attempt to restart things, it sounds as if you gave him the best chance possible. Fingers crossed you hear soon.

That will be a huge trauma for you, but it is amazing that you did it. Irrespective if the outcome you tried your best and that is an amazing thing to do for a stranger.

Be kind to yourself and I would sort some sort of counselling to help with the trauma and also take a day or two off to recover if you can

Do not ask, I have done CPR on three people outside hospital, you will be disappointed.

Probably too soon but someone in my village performed CPR at an RTA and some time later got in touch with the local St John's Ambulance because it was playing on his mind. Someone there was able to debrief him and it helped a lot.

Hope you are ok.

You gave him a chance no matter what the outcome you gave him a bigger chance of a positive outcome.

Huge well done to you for stopping and helping!

I'm a nurse, and the first time I did CPR, it really affected me. Luckily, I had a whole team behind me to support me and talk over it afterwards. Do you have someone to talk to about it?

Unfortunately, most out of hospital cardiac arrests are unsuccessful. But I worked in cardiology, and we had multiple patients admitted who arrested outside of the hospital and survived.
But please don't be disheartened if you hear he didn't survive. You did absolutely everything you could have and you should be proud of yourself for stepping up and doing it.

I think I heard his rib crack which is horrendous, I'm questioning what else I should have done

Thats excellent, shows you were doing it correctly, and absolutely couldn’t have done anything else. Well done! Whether they survive (slim chance, but importantly you enabled that chance), or not you did the right thing and should be extremely proud of yourself.