Thanks to early interventions, one Australian state performs best in heart attack survivability and the third best in the world.
It’s not something everyone wants to do, but if you’re suffering from a heart attack, Victoria is the best place in Australia.
2023/24 The Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry Annual Report shows that the state has the highest out-of-hospital heart survival rate in Australia and ranks third in the world.
Ambulance Service has participated in 7,548 cardiac arrests, with 79% of cases seen administering CPR, and 141 victims are shocked by public automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Of these, 56% survived to be admitted to hospital.
As a result of these interventions and the work of paramedics and first responders, 422 cardiac arrest patients were discharged from the hospital, with 84% returning to their families.
The state has focused on cardiac arrest responses since 2023, when it introduced Australia’s first cardiac arrest improvement strategy aimed at improving care for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) between 2023 and 2028.
It is based on international best practices, local expertise, and over 20 years of insight from the Victorian ambulance cardiac arrest registry.
“Shock Tober”
In addition to the initiative aimed at paramedics, it also introduced the Shocktober public education campaign, which reached 6.13 million people, trained 6,700 people in CPR, and expanded children’s living programs across Victorian schools.
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Victoria has over 7,500 publicly accessible defibrillators, which significantly improves outcomes for cardiac arrest patients with only 5-10% survival chances without CPR or defibrillator intervention.
A free app called GoodsAM that alerts people to someone with cardiac arrest nearby, also makes a difference to 17,327 registered responders and 793 cases attended by volunteers last year.
Integrated with Triple Zero Emergency Services, the app connects registered volunteers and patients who can provide CPR and defibrillation until the ambulance arrives.
Ziad Nehme, director of the Ambulance Victoria Research and Assessment, praised the collective efforts that led the nation to achieve internationally comparable survival rates of 41% of patients who are discharged and surviving.
The increase from 36% in 2022/23 marks the biggest year-on-year increase in the past decade.
“These improvements in survival are no coincidence,” Dr. Neme said. “The rapid delivery of CPR and defibrillation will significantly increase the chances of survival.”
Ambulance Services Minister Mary Anne Thomas said it was a pleasure to see the Victorian era, who was willing to provide care to people who have had heart attacks.
“Minutes are important in cardiac arrest, and the chances of survival increase dramatically when a patient undergoes CPR and defibrillation before the emergency services arrive,” she said.
AAP contributed to this story.
