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Nurses, MBTA Defibrillator Save Sick Man

84 AED Devices Installed In MBTA Trains

POSTED: 10:40 am EST February 26, 2009
UPDATED: 6:23 pm EST February 26, 2009

A man who collapsed at a Boston train station was saved Wednesday by the quick thinking of two nurses, an Army paramedic and recently installed defibrillators at the station, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority police said.

Police were called to the North Station commuter rail platform at about 7 p.m. Wednesday after people said a man has collapsed. Two nurses and an Army paramedic started performing CPR on the 53-year-old North Andover man because he was not breathing and did not have a pulse.

"It happened so quickly, but it was so nice to have other people there with me, just to know there are people around that will help others," nurse Patricia Rogers said.

"We just started CPR, you know, it was cool because we had a team going. I started compressions, (Rogers) got the AED going," said Army paramedic Alex Santos.

MBTA officers ran and got an automated external defibrillator machine and were able to revive the man.

"It was a total team thing from the start all the way until EMS got there. And EMS did their thing and the transition was smooth," Santos said.

The man was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital where he was listed in good condition on Thursday.

"I kept seeing his wedding ring, so I knew somebody was out there. He has family and someone loves this man and was expecting him to come home," Rogers said.

The MBTA announced earlier this month the installation of 84 AED devices on commuter trains. Train crews were also being trained on how to use the devices and CPR.

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