With heart attacks on the rise over Christmas, Tasmanian registrars learn how to save lives

As the Tasmanian summer season kicks off it can be easy to forget that with rising temperatures, days at the beach and a little too much Christmas cheer, our health can often take a back seat.

With research linking the Christmas period with an increase in fatal heart attacks and with more than 37,000 Tasmanians living with heart disease, it is crucial our health professionals are prepared and ready to deal with life threatening scenarios.

General Practice Training Tasmania (GPTT) will today be running an Advanced Life Support 1 (ALS1) course for GPs and other health professionals in Tasmania to equip them with the skills and knowledge to identify, treat and manage a patient during cardiac arrest or an immediate period of deterioration.

GPTT CEO Allyson Warrington said as one of the few ALS1 training providers in Tasmania, the organisation was pleased to be offering this vital training to primary health professionals in order to save Tasmanian lives.

“A large majority of us will need to administer CPR at some stage in our lives while we wait for advanced help to arrive and we recognise the important role GPTT plays in ensuring those primary health care professionals are able to take over and administer lifesaving support in these situations,” Ms Warrington said.

“GPs deal with a wide and varied range of presentations every day and it is important they are equipped to deal with everything from administering a vaccination through to treating a patient during cardiac arrest.”

The group of 14 health professionals from across Tasmania including, GP supervisors, medical officers and a nurse will take part in a series of workshops on topics including ECG rhythm recognition, resuscitation, defibrillation and causes and prevention of cardiac arrest.

The internationally accredited training is designed for health care professionals who would be expected to apply these skills as part of their clinical duties or teach them on a regular basis including nurses, GPs, paramedics, anaesthetists and medical officers.