AMBULANCE Victoria paramedics Mark Burns and Chris Anenoglou were in Kerang on Wednesday for the organisation’s Restart a Heart Day, providing information about cardiopulmonary resuscitation, defibrillators and a potentially life-saving smartphone app.
“Minutes matter in cardiac arrest, and the sooner a person receives CPR and the application of a defibrillator, the better their chances of survival,” Ambulance Victoria Buloke/Gannawarra acting senior team manager, Mark Burns said.
“Bystanders are the critical first link in the chain of survival and can help keep patients alive before highly-trained paramedics arrive,” Mr Burns said.
“Some CPR is better than no CPR. Just get in and have a crack. That’s the main thing. It’s better than standing back.”
To perform CPR the treating person’s hands should be positioned in the middle of a patient’s breast bone.
Compressions need to be performed at a rate of 100 to 120 a minute – the same tempo as the Bee Gees hit Stayin’ Alive.
While ribs are sometimes cracked in the process, Mr Burns said those who survived the emergency intervention never complained about it.
“If you hear a pop or a crack, just keep going,” he said.
“The idea is to minimise the time that hands are off the patient’s chest.
“The more you’re doing compressions, the better the person’s chance of survival is.”
Mr Burns said if two people were present, they should swap roles every one to two minutes.
“Keep going until someone tells you to stop.”
The paramedics demonstrated the use of a defibrillator, which provided simple audio prompts.
They also explained the GoodSAM Responder app, a tool to locate first responders and defibrillators in the area where someone has experienced a cardiac arrest.
The app is integrated with the triple zero call dispatch system, allowing Ambulance Victoria to alert registered responders via their smartphone and give them the opportunity to attend.
