Ambulance Victoria has launched its annual Shocktober campaign, inviting Victorians to learn or refresh their cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills and sign up to be a GoodSAM responder.  

October marks the sixth year of the campaign and aims to increase cardiac arrest survival rates across Victoria.

Ambulance Victoria’s latest data showed that Victoria achieved its highest internationally comparable survival rate of 41 per cent of patients surviving to hospital discharge: Australia’s best cardiac arrest survival rate and the third best in the world.

Ambulance Victoria Medical Director Associate Professor David Anderson said it is essential to know CPR, how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and where your closest defibrillator is located.

“Shocktober is about giving more Victorians who suffer a cardiac arrest a better chance of returning to their loved ones,” he said.

“We are urging the community to refresh their knowledge about CPR and how to use a defibrillator. For every minute CPR is delayed, survival decreases by 10 per cent.

“Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere, at any age, health or fitness level, and often without symptoms.

“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).”

In regional Victoria, cardiac arrest survival rates are significantly boosted by the swift action of bystanders who use publicly accessible AEDs.

Associate Professor Anderson also encouraged the community to sign up to be a GoodSAM Responder.

“GoodSAM is a free mobile app that connects patients in cardiac arrest with a nearby volunteer who is willing to begin hands-only CPR while paramedics are on their way,” he said.

“There are currently more than 17,300 GoodSAM Responders across the state, but we need more.”

Last year, paramedics responded to 7,545 cardiac arrest cases in Victoria and most occurred at home.

Victoria has the best cardiac survival rates in Australia, and the third best anywhere in the world. 

Every day, around 21 Victorians suffer the medical emergency but only 1 in 10 survive.

As part of Shocktober, Ambulance Victoria is running hundreds of free community events across the state to teach Call, Push, Shock. Find your closest event and get involved in the campaign here: www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/shocktober