The Red Cross has mobilized in Myanmar following a cyclone that is estimated to have claimed over 20,000 lives. More info

Doctor taught mayor, city officials on resuscitation technique

Tamira Madsen  —  5/12/2008 5:53 am

Dr. Darren Bean spent time teaching cardiocerebral resuscitation to Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and members of the Madison City Council and Madison Rotary Club over the past six weeks.

Bean, along with nurse Mark Coyne and pilot Steve Lipperer, died in a Med Flight helicopter crash near La Crosse Saturday night, and Cieslewicz said he became acquainted with Bean and his work over the past year.

"All three of the men dying is, of course, a terrible tragedy," Cieslewicz said. "I only knew Dr. Bean so I can only speak directly of him."

Bean, a member of the UW Hospital staff since 2002, began a position as the Madison Fire Department's medical director in 2007. He was a huge advocate of the CCR method, a new protocol being used by Madison firefighters and other responders in which they rapidly compress the chest of the victim at 100 presses per minute. Instead of the standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) method, the CCR procedure utilizes compressions to get blood flowing to the heart.

After watching a runner suffer a heart attack on the course of the Crazylegs Classic Run in 2007 and witnessing the CCR method being used on a patient, Cieslewicz said he consulted with Bean about the procedure and learned more in several meetings with Bean over the past year.

Bean demonstrated the CCR technique about 10 days ago in a video segment posted in a Mayor's Report program listed at the city of Madison Web site, and Cieslewicz said he was impressed with Bean's dedication to medicine.

"He was promoting this, and it has extraordinary capabilities of saving lives," Cieslewicz said. "He was out promoting a way to save people's lives.

"He was a tremendously charismatic guy, and people I think were drawn to him. He obviously had a passion for public health and saving lives, and the CCR campaign was the latest example of that passion for saving lives, and it's an incredible loss to our community."

Tamira Madsen  —  5/12/2008 5:53 am