On May 3, 2022, Gwinnett County Police Officer Doug Loomis started the day as he always does – with a run around his neighborhood. However, on this day, Doug arrived home only to suffer from cardiac arrest in his kitchen. With his 13-year-old son Jack by Doug's side, his wife, Ashley, called 911 and began to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Less than 10 minutes later, Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services and the Gwinnett County Police Department arrived at the home. After receiving
CPR and defibrillator shocks for several minutes, the 40-year-old was stable enough to be transported to Northside Hospital Gwinnett.
After undergoing several tests in the hospital's Cardiac Cath Lab, Doug, who was still unresponsive, was transferred to the Cardiovascular Care Unit, where he received the highest level of intensive care. Three days later, Doug was awake and stable enough to return home.
His wife's immediate delivery of CPR and a collaboration among local emergency services and the hospital's team of board-certified cardiologists, cardiac-trained nurses and technologists saved Doug's life.
The chain of survival is fragile. If just one link had been broken, not performed early or efficiently, had decisions like destination, escalation of care or appropriate resources not been available, Doug's story could have ended much differently.
Watch Doug's story here:
FOX 5 Atlanta recently told Doug's story. Find the full story here.
*The health story shared here is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Patients should consult with their own physician before making medical decisions.
