Victoria, Australia: Victoria has achieved the highest cardiac arrest survival rate in Australia and the third-best in the world, thanks to rapid CPR intervention and widespread use of defibrillators.
The 2023/24 Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry annual report highlights that 41% of patients survived to hospital discharge—surpassing previous records and ranking just behind King County in the US and Denmark.
Seventeen-year-old Austin Blight is one such survivor. He collapsed at the gym with no prior warning signs of cardiac arrest. Quick-thinking staff immediately performed CPR and used an automated external defibrillator (AED) to restore his heartbeat before paramedics arrived. Thanks to their swift response, Austin not only survived but has since returned to school to complete Year 12 and resumed his gym workouts.
Victoria’s success in cardiac arrest survival is largely attributed to early intervention. In 79% of witnessed cases, bystanders administered CPR, while 141 patients received shocks from public AEDs—the highest number ever recorded.
These measures, alongside paramedics’ efforts, resulted in 422 patients being discharged from the hospital, with 84% returning home to their families.
🚨🚨 We are so pleased to release the @VACAR_AV Annual Report 2023-24, highlighting the incredible achievements of community, @AmbulanceVic and our health system in improving outcomes from #OHCA. We have achieved our highest ever Utstein survival outcomes 1/2 pic.twitter.com/m4NdGhHGk8
— Ambulance Victoria Research (@VACAR_AV) March 23, 2025
The state has over 7,500 publicly accessible defibrillators, significantly improving survival chances for cardiac arrest victims, who otherwise have just a 5-10% chance of survival without CPR or defibrillation.
Ambulance Victoria’s free GoodSAM app, which alerts registered responders to nearby cardiac emergencies, has also played a vital role, with 17,327 responders assisting in 793 cases over the past year.
Integrated with the triple-zero emergency service, the GoodSAM app connects patients with volunteers trained in CPR and defibrillation, bridging the critical gap before professional medical help arrives.
This coordinated effort has led to a dramatic increase in Victoria’s cardiac arrest survival rate, rising from 36% in 2022/23 to 41%—the largest annual improvement in a decade.
Ambulance Victoria’s director of research and evaluation, Dr. Ziad Nehme, emphasized that these advancements are no coincidence. “When CPR and defibrillation are provided quickly, survival chances increase significantly,” he said.
Ambulance Services Minister Mary-Anne Thomas commended Victorians for their life-saving efforts, highlighting the crucial role of community action. “Minutes matter in cardiac arrests, and when a patient receives CPR and defibrillation before paramedics arrive, their chance of survival increases significantly,” she stated.
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