VICTORIA. — Ambulance Victoria paramedics and first responders are providing world-leading care to patients experiencing one of the most severe types of heart attack – an ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI).
The inaugural Victorian Ambulance STEMI Quality Initiative (VASQI) annual report puts on paper the critical importance of Ambulance Victoria first responders’ and paramedics’ timely recognition and early intervention, as well as research projects, in improving outcomes for Victorian STEMI patients.
Key findings in the report showed Ambulance Victoria achieved significant pain relief for 91 per cent of STEMI patients, transported 97 per cent of STEMI patients to hospitals with appropriate cardiac facilities for further care, and had a median response time of 12.1 minutes to STEMI patients statewide.
Ambulance Victoria Director Research and Evaluation A/Professor Ziad Nehme said VASQI aims to continually improve the quality of pre-hospital care provided to STEMI patients.
“STEMI accounts for approximately one quarter of all myocardial infarction (heart attacks), and warrants particular attention due to its acute nature, rapid progression and significant impact on the community,” he said.
“Any delay in diagnosis or treatment can result in extensive damage to the heart muscle tissue and life-threatening complications, including heart failure and cardiac arrest.
“Ambulance Victoria paramedics serve as the first point of contact in the chain of survival for STEMI patients by performing early assessment, initiating pre-hospital management and ensuring rapid transport to hospitals capable of delivering definitive care.
“VASQI has informed numerous enhancements to care at Ambulance Victoria, including the expansion of pre-hospital thrombolysis – the administration of clot-busting medication – in regional areas and the optimisation of hospital pre-notification processes.
“It also acts as a critical backbone for all our research trials, providing the robust data infrastructure required to advance our processes, ensuring our paramedics continue to deliver world-leading care to STEMI patients right across the state.”
Ambulance Victoria paramedics are internationally recognised for their leadership in pre-hospital research, contributing to multiple landmark STEMI trials as well as a major study into the treatment of cardiogenic shock.
Between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025, Ambulance Victoria paramedics diagnosed 2,874 patients with STEMI.
Of these cases, 87 per cent of patients received a 12-lead ECG within 10 minutes of paramedic arrival, an internationally recognised measure of quality for health systems.
More than 200 of the reported STEMI cases received pre-hospital thrombolysis, with 87 per cent receiving the life-saving medication within 45 minutes of STEMI diagnosis, an increase from 84 per cent the previous year.
VASQI is a clinical quality registry established by Ambulance Victoria in 2018 to coordinate the systematic and ongoing monitoring of STEMI patients.
The 2024-25 VASQI annual report results reflect not only the expertise of Ambulance Victoria’s clinicians but also an ongoing commitment to saving lives and continually elevating the standard of pre-hospital cardiac care in Victoria.
Read the full Victorian Ambulance STEMI Quality Initiative (VASQI) 2024/25 annual report.
