They are machines that dramatically improve the chances cardiac arrest patients will survive, and Ambulance Victoria wants to know where they are.
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The service is searching for 15,000 “hidden” automated external defibrillators, which they want registered to help deal with a rise in cardiac arrests over the past 10 years.
They are focusing on rural centres like Bendigo, where registration is lower than Melbourne.
Only 37 are registered locally, according to data from Ambulance Victoria. But statewide estimates suggest that for every registered AED four remain hidden.
Information about the location of registered AEDs is made available through an online registry. The data will also be passed on to first responders through new smartphone technology being introduced by Ambulance Victoria.
Tony Walsh is Ambulance Victoria’s acting group manager for Loddon Mallee. He said cardiac arrests were paramedics’ highest priority.
In those cases, time was of paramount importance.
“The chances of a patient surviving increases by 62 per cent if they are defibrillated by a bystander before an ambulance arrives,” Mr Walsh said.
Chances of survival reduced by up to 10 per cent every minute that passes without defibrillation.
“It buys time so that the paramedics on the way to the patient know active CPR or the use of a defibrillator is in progress. That way, we know the patient stands a better chance,” Mr Walsh said.
Having ways to quickly find AEDs was especially important in rural areas when ambulances had to travel greater distances to patients.
Mr Walsh said the service aimed to get to its most urgent cases within 15 minutes, though that could be faster or slower depending on the location.
Many hidden AEDs had been purchased by schools, medical practices, businesses, community organisations and sporting clubs.
Mr Walsh said many would not have thought to register them, though they would have often trained staff to locate and use them.
Registration takes less than five minutes and can be done at www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/register