A MALE passenger who suddenly fainted at Dengliang Station on Metro Line 2 was revived by a station staffer using an automated external defibrillator (AED), the Shenzhen Evening News reported.

The passenger suddenly fell to the ground and went into convulsions before his breathing and heartbeat stopped, the report said. A station staffer surnamed Chen immediately took down an AED that was suspended in the middle of the platform and carried out the emergency rescue.

“We laid the passenger down on the ground, unbuttoned his shirt, and attached the AED’s electrode plate to his chest. The AED automatically examines the heart rate and signals whether or not to perform defibrillation,” Chen recalled. When the AED issued a signal suggesting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instead of electric shock, Chen immediately carried out external chest compressions on the passenger.

A nurse passed by at this time and helped taking turns performing CPR. After one and a half minutes, the man’s heartbeat, breathing and consciousness returned to normal. Chen then slowly began to give him warm water. At this point, it had only been five minutes since the passenger passed out.

After confirming the man was out of danger, the personnel of the emergency center brought him to the hospital with the assistance of the station staffers. The man has now recovered and been discharged from the hospital.

According to the report, Shenzhen Metro is equipped with a total of 520 AEDs, covering seven lines, both at the concourse and the platform levels. (Zhou Ting)