F e a t u r e
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nowing CPR could help you save the life of a loved one—or perhaps the life of a stranger you may encoun-
ter on the sidewalk. Norair Chitechyan, father of Ruzanna Alexanian, MD, an internal medicine physician
at Glendale Adventist Medical Center (GAMC), was fortunate that the individual who helped save him
was well-prepared when he went into cardiac arrest.
✦
Also known as cardiopulmonary arrest or ven-
tricular fibrillation, cardiac arrest is the cessation of blood circulation due to failure of the heart to contract effec-
tively. Immediate emergency help can usually reverse a cardiac arrest, but without any intervention, the consequences
can be very serious.
✦
On March 3, Chitechyan was taking his daily morning walk around his neighborhood. Be-
cause of his age, he understood the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including routine exercise and
healthy eating. It was a day like any other. But on this March morning, he unexpectedly collapsed to the ground.
Saving a heart
QUICK ACTION
Fortunately, a good Samaritan who was quick to re-
spond ran over and began conducting CPR while paramedics rushed
to the scene.
Medical assistance arrived in less than five minutes of the
initial 911 phone call. Chitechyan had gone into cardiac arrest. Para-
medics shocked Chitechyan three times before he was taken to the
Emergency Department at GAMC.
Emergency medical staff responded quickly. Anthony Cardillo,
MD, emergency room physician, began intubation—the process of
inserting a tube into the mouth and then into the airway—allowing
the placement of a ventilator to assist Chitechyan with breath-
ing. Within 10 minutes of the emergency treatment, Eric Lee, MD,
WE WERE TRULY BLESSED WITH A TOP-NOTCH
TEAM OF GLENDALE ADVENTIST MEDICAL
CENTER PHYSICIANS AND NURSES.”
—R
uzanna
A
lexanian
, MD
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