Defibrillator rollout, record first aid training make Victoria safer

A program aimed at increasing cardiac arrest survival rates from 5 per cent to 70 per cent is underway in Victoria’s most at-risk suburbs.

A record 65,502 Victorian adults trained in first aid last year in a critical turnaround from a Covid slump, as a rollout of lifesaving defibrillators continued in the state’s most dangerous places for cardiac arrest.

These outcomes combined to create “a safer Victoria”, according to St John Ambulance Victoria.

The number of adults taught by SJAV – Victoria’s leading first aid training provider – last year was more than double the 2020 figure of 31,545, and also marked a substantial rise from 56,452 students the year prior.

More than a quarter of the 2022 students were learning first aid for the first time.

Chief executive Gordon Botwright said the enormous take-up meant “less strain on the healthcare system, like ambulances and emergency departments, and ultimately, more people returned home to their loved ones”.

“First aid is an essential life skill, and we want to ensure that as many people as possible have access to this training,” he said.

A record number of adult Victorians learnt first aid last year.

A further 69,811 school students participated in the non-profit organisation’s First Aid In Schools program as it marked its 10th year, SJAV’s latest annual report revealed.

SJAV also finished installing 29 defibrillators in Reservoir in 2022, as part of the first iteration of the Defib In Your Street program, ensuring most residents are no further than 400m from a lifesaving unit.

The program recently expanded to postcode 3021 – comprising St Albans, Albanvale, Kealba and Kings Park – which has one of the highest rates of sudden cardiac arrest in Melbourne.

Married couple James Hua, an ambulance driver, and Elisa Vo, a nurse, agreed to have the first of 35 public defibrillators planned for the region installed at their St Albans home.

Mr Hua said he was alarmed at the statistics around sudden cardiac arrests, stressing the importance of early intervention.

James Hua and Elisa Vo are housing a public defibrillator at their St Albans home. Picture: Tony Gough

“Cardiac arrests don’t wait for anyone; they can happen anytime, anywhere,” Mr Hua said.

“Having defibrillators available within the community should prevent a lot of these incidents from happening.

“Even if you haven’t had any prior training the defib speaks to you and gives step by step instructions … they’ve got pictures and clear directions.”

Mr Botwright said the chance of surviving sudden cardiac arrest were below five per cent, and decreased with every passing minute.

“If the patient is shocked by a publicly accessible defibrillator, their chances of survival can increase to as high as 70 per cent,” he said.

stjohnvic.com.au