Rapid response saves UK student

A 20-year-old student from the United Kingdom was saved from a potentially fatal stroke in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, this month thanks to the city's integrated emergency medical response system.

The student collapsed on Aug 12 while participating in a summer exchange program at a university in Suzhou. His breathing was faint and he lost consciousness after falling.

Yang Xiaoping, from Suzhou's emergency command center, received the emergency call about the situation and quickly determined that the patient required immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Yang was joined by Zhou Jie, an intensive care unit physician from Suzhou Hospital, who provided precise guidance on executing CPR and other pre-hospital medical procedures via an online first aid platform, supported by nearby bystanders.

Once the ambulance arrived, the patient was connected to an electronic CPR device to maintain uninterrupted chest compressions during transport. Paramedics transmitted his vital signs and other critical data to the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University.

Upon arrival at the hospital, the emergency team continued CPR for seven more minutes until they detected a heartbeat and pulse. After completing CT scans and other tests, the patient was diagnosed with a stroke triggered by brain inflammation and was transferred to the intensive care unit.

Over the following week, the young man's condition steadily improved, and he is now stable.

Doctors said the successful rescue underscored the importance of a well-integrated emergency response system.

"He's recovering very well," said Lu Fan, a member of the emergency team. "For critical cases like cardiac arrest, each step — from on-scene CPR to ambulance care to hospital resuscitation — must be carried out flawlessly. That's what allowed this ideal outcome despite the language barrier — his responsiveness and our coordinated, multidisciplinary care."

Lu said the patient is now able to eat and get out of bed.

Zhang Zhifang, deputy director of Suzhou's health commission, said, "We are building a systematic public emergency model based on cooperation between AEDs, volunteers and the emergency rescue dispatch system to initiate a response the moment the emergency call comes in."

The young man's parents, who flew to Suzhou on Aug 15, expressed their gratitude.

"We're so grateful to everyone — the university staff, ambulance team, Doctor Lu, and all those who saved his life," his father said.

"We hope to bring our son home alive and well, which would have been impossible without everything everyone has done."

The hospital said the online first aid platform, supported by Tencent and launched last month, played a crucial role in the rescue. The platform has facilitated nine cardiac arrest rescues in its first month of operation.

"Previously, we relied only on voice instructions over the phone, which was quite limiting," said Wang Liang, deputy director of Suzhou's emergency command center. "Video allows our dispatchers to see the actual scene in real time for more precise guidance."

Over 28,000 volunteers in Suzhou have completed CPR training, with 22,000 certified as emergency responders.

zhengzheng@chinadaily.com.cn