Cardiac Arrest Rates up 20 Percent in Victoria, Survival Rates Fall

Sudden cardiac arrests in Victoria have increased by 20 percent in the past 5 years—and more than 95 percent of patients are dying.

A traveler passes an Automated External Defibrillator. Tim Boyle/Getty Images

The Australian state of Victoria has recorded an alarming rise in the rate of sudden cardiac arrests and their mortality. In the past five years, the number of people affected has risen by 20 percent, and more than 95 percent are dying.

Latest figures from Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry (VACAR) for 2022/23 show that, of 7,830 people whose hearts stopped beating, only 388 survived.