Off-duty Khoo Teck Puat Hospital nurses help man who went into cardiac arrest at basketball game

Three nurses from Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) were recently commended for saving a man who suddenly went into cardiac arrest while they were off duty.

The incident happened during a basketball game at a court near the hospital, according to an Aug. 14 Facebook post by KTPH.

During the game that day, a player suddenly collapsed on the court, creating a commotion.

Although it initially looked like the man had simply tripped, the three nurses quickly found out it was more serious.

The man's body was stiffening, his face had turned blue, and he was gasping for air.

Berbenzana first recognised that he was having a heart attack, but later realised it was worse.

The man had no pulse, which meant he was in cardiac arrest.

Kicking into action

As the nurses were all from the accident and emergency (A&E) department at the hospital, their skills and instincts kicked in.

Berbenzana called the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) for emergency assistance.

Urcia went to retrieve an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), while Salvador stayed with the patient.

A bystander had begun performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while they waited for help to arrive.

When Urcia returned with the AED, Berbenzana applied the device to the man with Salvador's help.

As the AED advised a shock, the nurses delivered it while CPR continued.

They remained on site to provide assistance and support until the SCDF paramedics got there and took over.

The man's pulse eventually returned, and Berbenzana accompanied him in the ambulance to KTPH.

"By the time we reached the hospital, he was fully awake and able to speak. That was when I finally felt relieved," Berbenzana recounted.

Calm and confidence

Recalling the experience, Urcia pointed out the challenge of responding to an emergency outside a clinical setting.

"You have limited equipment, you have to assess quickly, and the adrenaline is much stronger than what I feel at work," he said. "But the training kicks in."

Berbenzana added that "the nurse in [him] never really switches off" even off duty.

"It was very frightening, but being calm and knowing what to do gave me the confidence to respond."

The three nurses were presented with the SCDF Community First Responder Award and Community Lifesaver Award in recognition of their actions that day.

This award is given to members of the public who display courage and public spiritedness in emergencies.