December 2, 2005

Is there a doctor in the house?

After a long weekend of business traveling, Davinder S. Jassal, MD, a fellow in MGH Cardiology, expected nothing more than to collect his baggage and head home when he arrived at Logan Airport in Boston the evening of Nov. 15.

His medical training, however, was put to an unexpected test when a fellow traveler collapsed while standing at a telephone booth. With the traveler rapidly turning blue because of a lack of oxygen, Jassal rushed to his aid and determined that he was in cardiac arrest. He performed CPR, while two bystanders hurried to help him — one called 911 while the other retrieved an automatic defibrillator from a nearby airport security station. Within seconds, Jassal shocked the patient twice with the defibrillator, resulting in a return of his pulse. Because of Jassal's quick action, the man was breathing on his own by the time the paramedics arrived. Coincidentally, Jassal was returning from an American Heart Association meeting held that week in Dallas.

"It was a unique experience resuscitating a patient in a public place where the skills of
hospital staff and equipment were lacking," says Jassal. "I am a strong proponent of having automatic external defibrillators available in public places. Although the patient was fortunate to have a physician around, the defibrillator was lifesaving."

Jassal later was able to meet the grateful patient — who was treated at the MGH — and visited him every day during his recovery.