UCI Health anesthesiologist helps save life of local beachgoer
Event underscores importance of knowing CPR
IN THE NEWS: When UCI Health anesthesiologist Dr. Yamah Amiri decided to enjoy a visit to a local beach on his day off, he didn’t anticipate that he would help save the life of a fellow beachgoer.
Orange County resident Bryan Parkinson, at the beach that day with his family, suddenly went into cardiac arrest. Amiri saw him collapse and ran over to administer CPR while nearby teenagers called 9-1-1.
Amiri recently reunited with Parkinson at the same local beach. He spoke to FOX 11 about the incident.
“The first thing I wanted to make sure was that he was breathing adequately. Another gentleman showed up, and I had him hold the pulse to make sure we had a pulse.”
He and another beachgoer, a nurse anesthetist, administered CPR when Parkinson stopped breathing. Lifeguard Colton Crockett then arrived with automated external defibrillator (AED). After one shock, Parkinson was up and breathing.
Parkinson and his family are grateful to Amiri and the other good Samaritans who helped to save his life. The event underscored the importance of knowing CPR.
At UCI Health Anesthesia & Perioperative Care Services, Amiri provides comprehensive anesthesia care and perioperative management for patients. He is an assistant professor of anesthesiology at the UC Irvine School of Medicine.
About UCI Health
UCI Health, one of California’s largest academic health systems, is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. The 1,317-bed system comprises its main campus UCI Medical Center, its flagship hospital in Orange, Calif., the UCI Health — Irvine medical campus, four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties and a network of ambulatory care centers across the region. UCI Medical Center provides tertiary and quaternary care and is home to the only Orange County-based National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, gold level 1 geriatric emergency department and regional burn center. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).