To mark the second anniversary of Menzies Institute for Medical Research's Cardiovascular Research Flagship today the team called on more Tasmanians to take action in the event of a cardiac arrest.
Tasmania faces one of the highest rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Australia—115 cases for every 100,000 people each year.
Yet, despite this Tasmanians are less likely to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) than people in other states. Only 61% of cardiac arrest cases in Tasmania receive bystander CPR, compared to 81% in the ACT.
The gaps in these statistics have motivated the Flagship to re-release Shock Verdict, a video featuring the cast of ABC's Rake, alongside Tasmanian cardiologist Dr Paul MacIntyre and cardiac arrest survivors.
The video shares a dramatic and lifesaving message: 'Act fast and help people 'Stay Alive' when witnessing a cardiac arrest.'
"This campaign is about empowering everyday Tasmanians—trained or untrained—to take action," said Dr MacIntyre, who is on the steering committee for the Flagship.
"Hands-only CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) use significantly improves survival from out of hospital cardiac arrest."
Emergency services in Tasmania take an average of 10.5 minutes to arrive, the longest response time in the country, meaning bystanders are often the first and best chance for survival.
Lead researcher for the Cardiovascular Research Flagship, Seana Gall, said every minute without CPR or defibrillation dramatically reduces survival chances
"There is some good news - Tasmanians lead the nation in bystander use of defibrillators, and when CPR and defibrillation are combined, survival rates soar,
Cardiac arrest doesn't wait for an ambulance- in those critical first minutes, bystanders can make the difference between life and death.
Learning CPR and knowing how to use a defibrillator a powerful thing to do for your community."
Why it matters:
- Cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, anytime.
- Immediate CPR and AED use can triple survival chances.
- Geographic challenges mean Tasmanians must be ready to act before help arrives.
Call to action: Learn CPR. Know where your nearest defibrillator is. If someone collapses and stops breathing, you can be the difference between life and death.
The campaign was inspired by a real-life resuscitation during Tasmania's Point to Pinnacle half marathon, where two nurses performed CPR to the beat of the Bee Gees' Stayin' Alive, leading to a full recovery.
There is a growing network of life-saving defibrillators in Tasmania, and there now a GoodSAM network which helps to connect community responders to patients in the first critical minutes of cardiac arrest, prior to ambulance arrival.
"Shock Verdict is more than a video—it's a call to action," said Dr MacIntyre.
"Share it with your friends and family. You never know whose life you might save."
The re-launch of Shock Verdict has been supported by the generosity of the Heart Foundation.
View the video and learn more: Shock Verdict
