Heart Safe Australia - Saving Lives Across Australia

HEART ATTACK
(CIRCULATION)

A blockage or narrowing of the coronary artery cuts off or reduces blood flow to the heart causing damage due to lack of oxygen.

Symptoms hours or days before are:

• Chest Pain

• Fatigue

• Weakness

• Nausea

• Difficulty Breathing

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU SUSPECT A HEART ATTACK

CALL 000

If you think someone may be having a heart attack, regard this as an emergency. Do not waste vital moments. Rather than going to a doctor’s clinic, take these steps:

• Call 000

• Ask for Ambulance Service

• Report a possible heart attack

• Give the person an aspirin if you have any unless the person has been advised not to take this particular medication

• Make sure they rest quietly while you wait for transport or an ambulance

• If an ambulance is not readily available (for example, in some rural areas) quickly notify the nearest hospital, health clinic or the person’s usual doctor for advice

* This advice is based on the Heart Attack Action Plan from Heart Research Australia.

CARDIAC ARREST
(ELECTRICAL)

The heart stops beating abruptly from a malfunction in the heart’s electrical system or a sudden change in the circulatory system.

Loss of consciousness & collapse:

• Collapse

• Unconsciousness

• Not Breathing

• No Pulse

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU SUSPECT A CARDIAC ARREST

1. CALL 000

Make sure it is safe to approach:

• Check for any response from the victim

• Tilt their head back, lift their chin and check breathing

• If breathing is absent or is not normal, CPR is needed

• Call 000 in Australia or 111 in New Zealand and follow their instructions

• If someone is there to help, ask them to call 000 in Australia or 111 in New Zealand for you and ask them to fetch an AED if possible

2. PUSH

• Place both hands in centre of chest

• Compress the chest to the rhythm of ‘Stayin Alive’

• If you learnt how, provide 2 rescue breaths between every 30 compressions, otherwise push the chest continuously

• Push hard. Don’t worry, you can’t do any harm

3. SHOCK

• If an AED arrives, switch it on immediately and follow the instructions

NINE Heart Safe Australia Life Saving Programs

Nine Heart Safe Australia Life Saving Program Initiatives have been created to raise awareness and education to guide people across Australia to be READY, WILLING and ABLE to potentially save a life in case of a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) out-of-hospital. 

Whether you are familiar with the 3-Steps to save a life and already have a defibrillator or AED,  join our Heart Safe Programs to make sure you and the people around you are READY for such potentially very stressful life and death situation.