After the Shock: Life Beyond Cardiac Arrest with Paul Swindell, Zoe Hitchcock and Noah Cohen
About this episode
This episode explores the recovery journey after cardiac arrest, featuring insights from survivors and discussions on the psychological and physical challenges they face.
In this special three-part series, we move beyond the acute management of cardiac arrest and into the far less frequently discussed phase of survival: what comes after return of spontaneous circulation. While clinical focus often centres on early defibrillation, high-quality CPR, and post-resuscitation care, these episodes explore a different but equally important question: what does recovery actually look like for patients and families once they leave the resuscitation bay? Across three conversations, we hear from survivors whose cardiac arrests occurred in dramatically different contexts, yet whose recovery journeys share striking common themes: uncertainty, identity change, psychological impact, and the long shadow of a life-threatening event. We also explore the role of bystanders, pre-hospital clinicians, and system-level coordination in shaping not only survival, but long-term outcomes. In Part 1 , Paul Swindell reflects on his sudden cardiac arrest in 2014, the immediate pre-hospital response, and the complex recovery that followed. Paul discusses the physical rehabilitation process alongside the less visible psychological challenges, including adjustment to a new baseline…
More episodes of Pre-Hospital Care Podcast
- From Black Hawk to HEMS: Decision-Making Where It Matters Most with Kodey Bogart
- Aeromedical Medicine: The Flying ICU. Where Physiology Meets Aviation with Dr Ina Schmidt
- Neurodivergence in Pre-Hospital Care: ADHD and Autism with David Birch
- Not So FAST: Rethinking Stroke Recognition in Pre-Hospital Care with Shane Devlin and Ronan Walker
- Mastering the Pre-Hospital Airway: Assessment, RSI, SALAD & FONA
- Right Patient, Right Time: The True Value of HEMS with Callum Sutton
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Pre-Hospital Care Podcast podcast page.