Chapter 7
The hyperbaric procedure proceeded without incident for the first hour.
Then the attendant noticed a sharp increase in the number of abnormal heart beats on the cardiac monitor.
She watched in horror as the President's heart pattern went from normal to life threatening. Pushing Lidocaine, a drug used to treat arrthymias, had little effect.
What could she do? She couldn't use the defibrillator in the chamber. That would blow all of them to little pieces.
The only choice she could make was to stop the procedure immediately. That's what she did.
In a few agonizing minutes, the chamber finally balanced itself and she was able to open the sealed chamber.
She had already notified the staff that there was a problem with the President and they were there waiting for the door to open.
Dr. Smart grabbed the stretcher and pulled it out into the outer room. He had a defibrillator standing by and put the paddles to the President's chest just as his heart stopped.
Asystole was the medical term.
Two shocks later the President's heartbeat returned to a slow, but regular pattern.
"Move him, now! Call CCU and tell them we're on our way."
The stretcher bearing the President was quickly moved to the coronary care unit and every monitor was connected. The rhythmic beep of the monitor gave the doctors a chance to catch their breath.
Then they waited. And prayed.