Record number of heart attacks recorded in Victoria during 2020

A record number of Victorians suffered cardiac arrest during 2020, with many falling gravely ill in their own homes.

More Victorians suffered cardiac arrest during 2020 than ever before with many falling gravely ill in their own homes where help may not be close at hand.

The sudden jump in heart attacks and other cardiac issues has prompted Ambulance Victoria to use Valentines Day as a chance to push for increased bystander intervention, particularly as the state opens up after the prolonged lockdowns endured last year.

The latest Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry reveals the state’s paramedics responded to a record 6,761 cardiac arrests last year, up 242 critical cases on the previous year.

However, Ambulance Victoria CEO Tony Walker said it was bystander interventions such as CPR or the use of community defibrillators before paramedics arrive which raised the chances of survival to 70 per cent.

In an effort to drive up survival rates, AV is hoping to recruit an extra 5000 first aid trained Victorians to become GoodSAM Responders so they can receive an alert when a call is made to triple-0 about a cardiac arrest in their area.

Heart attack survivor Stephen Gargano joined by his wife and Michela Barisonzi, son William, three, and good Samaritan Sarah Hopkins. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“We have got some of the best paramedics in the world and some of the best survival rates, but we know it is what happens in the first few minutes and bystanders performing CPR and using defibrillators that makes the world of difference to survival,” Assoc Prof Walker said.

“If we can get more people going ‘I am prepared to step in and help my neighbour around the corner’, we know it makes a difference and we can have people there within five minutes starting Life Saving CPR.”

Since it was launched in 2018, the 12,500 Victorians who have already downloaded the GoodSAM app have saved more than 30 lives.

For every minute CPR and use of a defibrillator are delayed, survival drops by 10 per cent.

Like similar systems overseas GoodSAM was switched due to COVID-19 exposure concerns during periods of 2020, but is now running again and in more need than ever.

The latest VCAR data shows 80 per cent of cardiac arrest patients benefited from early invention of bystanders last year.

In July 2019, Suzi suffered a heart attack at a community working bee in Northcote and became unresponsive Picture: Tim Carrafa

However, the report also reveals lockdowns drove up the number arresting in places where they may not be quickly noticed by those able to help, with three out of four occurring in their own homes.

“One of the benefits of suffering a cardiac arrest in the street is that there is somebody around you, somebody will see it and somebody will start help,” Assoc Prof Walker said.

“When you were at home that may not be the case and that is even more why GoodSAM is important to us.”

* You can get the free GoodSAM app on Google Play or download it from the App Store. Visit heartrestarter.com.au for more information.