Dr. Kennedy and the National Sale

This article’s original intent was to provide an update on ARBA’s National Sale and eventually we will get to that but first, there is an important public service announcement to be made. Not to be a spoiler alert, the sale did go great but for a more significant reason than the value placed on sheep. Romneys sold on Friday but other breeds sold through Saturday. It was Saturday’s auction that was the most rewarding and will stand out in many folk’s memory for a very long time and it had nothing to do with the bidding. The sale had started, bidding was very lively, when a thud was heard behind the auctioneer’s podium and the sound of someone yelling “call 911”. One of our fellow sheep breeders had gone into cardiac arrest. The auctioneer paged for any medical professionals in the barn, 911 was called and an AED was located. It’s funny how many medical people are within the sheep industry
and thankfully, on this Saturday morning, there was a physician close by. Our very own Romney breeder, Dr. Ethan Kennedy, responded to the emergency call with at least one nurse (Laurie Majchrzak) on deck as well. Patient was unresponsive and pulseless, and required immediate intervention, AED applied, CPR initiated and
shock delivered…all in front of a barnful of folks. Everyone held their breath and watched while medical professionals do what they do best, and sometimes they do it in the community where we live. I’m sure time stood still for many and what was only a few minutes seemed like an eternity. EMS arrived and transported the patient to hospital where he underwent cardiac bypass surgery. Very happy to report that the patient recovered well and was discharged to home last week. Ethan has since spoken with him and he expressed his appreciation to everyone for their heroic efforts and for his second chance at life. What a great outcome with the best ending possible.
Resuscitation is never a one person job, there’s always a team of sorts, whether it’s the person finding the victim, calling 911, doing actual hands on treatment, or clearing the access for EMS to get through, no task is too small and all are important. The survival rate for an out of hospital cardiac arrest is approximately 10%. Survival to hospital discharge from out of hospital cardiac arrest after receiving treatment by EMS or bystanders is also less than 10%. Survival chances decrease by 10% for every minute that immediate CPR and the use of an AED is
delayed. The role of public access AEDs and community training have a role to play in early defibrillation (shock). However, the application of AEDs by bystanders remains relatively low, occurring less than 12% of public cardiac arrests. Most cardiac arrests are in the home, making CPR an important skill to learn. Everyone needs to learn CPR and the use of AEDs for family members, friends, and community acquaintances. If you were there in Greenville on May the 10th, you know the importance of CPR and AEDs. Many thanks to Ethan, and today he has definitely earned the title of “Doctor Extraordinaire”