One of our customers, Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS), joined Corvanta to support #RestartAHeart Day, an initiative driven by the Council of Ambulance Authorities (CAA). Wayne Loudon, Critical Care Paramedic at QAS, presented what we can do to support first responders, and influence patient outcomes in the event of a cardiac arrest.
Tragically, nine out of 10 people will not survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The only way to improve this poor statistic is to educate and raise awareness with the community about cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).
QAS holds regular CPR awareness and education sessions, and they report that 76% of cardiac arrests occur at home, usually in front of a family member. If these people knew how to perform CPR and/or use an AED immediately, survival rates would most likely increase.
Every second counts when a sudden cardiac arrest occurs. A person’s chance of survival decreases by 10% for every minute that passes without intervention by someone trained in CPR and/or AED use. Intervening as soon as possible will improve the outcome. This knowledge can save the life of someone close to you, or even your own. Together, we can help educate and raise awareness on how to improve this statistic.
With cardiac arrests, time is critical. If a cardiac arrest occurs: CALL 000, PUSH, SHOCK.
Wayne said “With CPR, you are doing the work the heart should be doing. In 2019, 5,444 cardiac arrests were attended by QAS, with 2,210 resuscitations attempted, with 75% receiving CPR from a bystander before arrival. The bystander can make all the difference. We can often predict the trajectory of how a patient will respond and early intervention can prevent deterioration like neurological and other injuries.”
Data drives Wayne’s decisions, and the more information he has before the ambulance arrives, the more effective he is. “We want to know as much as possible before we arrive on the scene and having easily accessible and current data makes a difference. For example, if we have a witness account of someone collapsing, this can start a series of events in the background that can benefit patients.”
James Wetherall, Managing Director Emergency Services at Corvanta, said “Restart a Heart Day is a great initiative and it’s so important the message of addressing cardiac arrests early is broadcast to the community. As a technology company, we understand the importance of how quick and accurate information transfer can save lives. We hear from our ambulance partners like QAS that being always connected to the right information at the right time does help improve patient outcomes. We are always looking for technological solutions to enhance this connected journey.”
Corvanta looks forward to supporting more initiatives like this that make a difference in people’s lives.
Heart Resources
Find out more about Restart a Heart Day and book a CPR course:
- Restart a Heart Day website
- Wayne Loudon’s QAS presentation
- Queensland Ambulance Service – book a CPR course
- St John Ambulance Australia – First Aid Training
- St John Ambulance New Zealand – First Aid Training
- St John Ambulance Papua New Guinea – First Aid Training
- Ambulance Victoria – Shocktober
- SA Ambulance – CPR30 Training Sessions
About Corvanta
Corvanta has launched from the former emergency services business within Trapeze.
With a team who are truly dedicated and passionate about what they do, Corvanta understands the impact ambulance services have on people’s lives. In an industry where providing essential health services and excellence in pre-hospital care is paramount, it is crucial patients receive the right care, at the right time, at the right place.
To meet these objectives, our team are solely focused on delivering solutions that connect patient journeys to support meeting KPI’s, improve paramedic safety and influence better outcomes.
For more information, visit corvanta.com
