Pittsburgh International Airport reports second AED save

September 17, 2001

A 73-year-old Phoenix woman who collapsed suddenly on her way to the gate at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) on September 14th, was resuscitated and is reported to be in good condition, thanks to the quick actions of two passersby and an airline employee. The passersby, who happened to be physicians, provided CPR, while US Airways In-Flight Supervisor, Karen Stolarski, grabbed a defibrillator off the wall and administered one shock. When airport emergency medical technicians, Larry Sudsina and Brian Colella, arrived and administered the second shock, the woman’s heartbeat resumed and she sat up. She was taken to a nearby hospital and is expected to be discharged soon. According to airport Fire Chief Lamonte Wilson, everything went according to plan.

PIT introduced its AED program on June 11th, placing 29 AEDs throughout the airport in locations accessible to the public. The first save occurred on June 29th.