Student Athletes Perform Life-Saving First Aid

Every second counts during a medical emergency. This is something that every student learns at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis.

For P2 students Brent Adams, B.S. ’21, Sean Harris, B.S. ’21, and Edward Ngo, B.S. ’21, their pharmacy training was put to the test when they intervened to save the life of a young man experiencing a medical emergency during a soccer game.

Building a Team

During their undergraduate years, Adams, Harris and Ngo became fast friends playing soccer together on the Eutectic Men’s Soccer team. The three friends bonded over their passion for the game, drive to help others and desire to pursue pharmacy school.

“We work well together since we’ve been friends for so long,” Adams said. “Whether we’re playing soccer, working on a thirty-page patient case together or performing CPR, we are good at working collaboratively as a team.”

Jumping Into Action

Although they have retired from playing collegiate soccer to focus on their studies, the second-year pharmacy students have continued to play together in a recreational league at Vetta Sports – Concord in St. Louis. During one of their recent games, their quick thinking as pharmacy students provided them with the life-saving skills necessary to resuscitate another player who was experiencing a medical emergency.

“One of the players on the other team left the game looking pale and ended up becoming unresponsive,” Ngo said. “We ran over to him and began checking for a breath and pulse. His lips were turning blue and we knew we needed to act fast.”

Unable to find the player’s pulse, Adams, Harris and Ngo began performing CPR while instructing another person to call 911 and another player to retrieve an automated external defibrillator (AED).

“Our pharmacy backgrounds provided us with the confidence and knowledge to jump in to help in a time of need,” Ngo added. “I think UHSP taught us to think critically – especially in times of emergency. When we started working on him, we just instinctually started working together to save him.”

After completing a few rounds of CPR, the team placed the AED pads on the player’s chest providing a shock to his heart. The patient remained unresponsive so the team began performing CPR again, and eventually the young man began breathing on his own.

“As soon as he came to, we began evaluating his cognitive skills,” Adams said. “He was able to say his name and explain where he was, and then a few minutes later the paramedics and police officers arrived on the scene.”

Reflections

A few days after the incident, Craig Feltz, Vetta Sports – Concord general manager, called Adams, Harris and Ngo to thank them for their willingness to jump in.

“Sean, Brent and Eddie, did a great job of reacting to a stressful situation by being decisive and compassionate,” said Josh Kuenz, adult league manager and referee during the medical emergency. “All of us who were there were in shock and scared, and the three of them did a great job saving his life. We were all grateful they were there at the right time and place.”

Upon reflection, Adams, Harris and Ngo are grateful they were able to help save a life and thankful their pharmacy education prepared them to take action.

“We were just so happy when he finally woke up – it’s a feeling that we’ll never forget,” Ngo said. “It was an intense situation, which further solidified our desire to pursue careers in pharmacy.”

Thanks to Adams, Harris and Ngo’s life-saving first aid, the young man was driven by ambulance to a nearby hospital and survived the incident.

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