Pantridge, James Francis (1916-2004), was a doctor from what is now Northern Ireland. He specialized in cardiology, the field of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the heart . Pantridge is known for his invention and treatment plan for abnormal heart rhythms called ventricular fibrillation (VF). Without immediate treatment, VF can cause death within a few minutes.
James Francis “Frank” Pantridge was born on Oct. 3, 1916, near Hillsborough in County Down , Ireland. (This part of Ireland became part of Northern Ireland in 1920. Northern Ireland is a political division of the United Kingdom.) He studied medicine at Queen’s University Belfast , where he graduated in 1939. He served in eastern Asia during World War II (1939-1945). He was captured by Japanese forces that conquered Singapore in 1942 and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner in camps located in Burma (now Myanmar) and Siam (now Thailand). After the war, Pantridge returned to Northern Ireland and later obtained a scholarship to study cardiology at the University of Michigan in the United States. In 1950, Pantridge returned to Northern Ireland and began work at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast .
At the time, specialized hospital units were being developed to treat heart disease, which was becoming a serious health issue in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. However, Pantridge understood that most deaths from heart disease occurred suddenly, away from hospital, because of VF. Ventricular fibrillation occurs when nerve impulses that regulate heartbeat fire in a disorganized manner. The heart fibrillates (quivers) uncontrollably and is unable to pump blood. When VF occurs, a defibrillator can be used to restore normal heart rhythm. It does so by delivering a brief electrical shock to the heart. At that time, however, defibrillators were typically found only in hospital cardiac care units.
In 1965, Pantridge invented a portable defibrillator that could be carried in an ambulance. He developed a plan—now known as the Pantridge Plan— that enabled medical professionals to administer lifesaving defibrillation to people experiencing VF before they arrive at a hospital. Although his first device weighed about 150 pounds (70 kilograms), it could fit and be transported easily in an ambulance. Later versions were much smaller and lighter. Today, small defibrillators are found in ambulances and stationed in many public locations. Pantridge has been called the “father of emergency medicine” for developing emergency treatment plans for VF. The Pantridge Plan has been widely adopted throughout the world, helping to save thousands of lives every year
Pantridge received many honors for his contributions to cardiac care. Queen Elizabeth II named him a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1978. He remained at the Royal Victoria Hospital until his retirement in 1982. He wrote a book on cardiology, The Acute Coronary Attack (1975), and an autobiography, An Unquiet Life (1989). He died on Dec. 26, 2004.
