While Victoria holds one of the best survival rates for cardiac arrests in the world, community members are being encouraged to sharpen up their CPR skills after Ambulance Victoria (AV) Paramedics responded to more cardiac arrests than ever before.
AV paramedics and first responders were called to 7545 cardiac arrest cases last year and are currently running CPR refresher sessions across the month of October.
A cardiac arrest occurs when a person’s heart suddenly stops pumping blood effectively around their body and immediate action is often crucial for survival.
Ambulance Victoria regional and clinical operations acting director James Tehan has called on locals to learn CPR, wrap their head around the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) and know where their closest defibrillator is located.
The call comes during AV’s sixth state-wide Shocktober campaign, dedicated to improving cardiac arrest survival rates.
“Shocktober is about giving Victorians who have a cardiac arrest a better chance of returning to their loved ones,” Mr Tehan said.
“CPR and defibrillation are critical. Every day, around 21 Victorians suffer the medical emergency but only one in 10 survive. For every minute CPR is delayed, survival decreases by 10 per cent.
Mr Tehan also encouraged locals to sign up as a GoodSam responder, a mobile app which connects patients experiencing a cardiac arrest with nearby volunteers who may be willing to start hands-only CPR before paramedics arrive.
AV have called on more people to sign up as GoodSam responders despite a report of 17,3000 members across Victoria.
“Our message is simple – you don’t need to be a paramedic to save a life, just remember to Call (Triple Zero 000), Push (Perform CPR) and Shock (use an AED),” Mr Tehan said.
AV’s Call, Push, and Shock sessions will run at Craigieburn Central Shopping Centre on Thursday, 9 October at 12.30pm, Epping Plaza on Thursday, 16 October at 10am, and Spectrum Victoria Seniors Festival in Broadmeadows on Friday, 17 October , at 10am.
Details: ambulance.vic.gov.au/shocktober.
