Mouths barrier call

By Kath Gannaway
A BADGER Creek man who gave unprotected mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a woman in January is calling for immediate changes to the advice given by emergency operators.
Chris Cole wants ‘Triple-zero’ operators to ensure people called on to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation are advised to place a cloth barrier between mouths.
Ambulance Victoria that provides the guidelines in accordance with the Australian Resuscitation Council, says that is not necessary.
Mr Cole was walking in Healesville on 12 January when he was called on to render assistance to a woman who was almost unconscious from a heroin overdose.
He rang Triple-zero to call for an ambulance and was put through to the Emergency Services Telecommunication Authority (ESTA) operator.
Mr Cole said after establishing the woman’s condition, he was told by the operator to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Mr Cole said he was reluctant and asked the woman’s partner to do it, but he was too upset and was physically unable to do it.
“The operator insisted it was essential that I give her the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation,” he said.
Mr Cole said although he was concerned, and told the operator he didn’t wish to, he proceeded to give him instructions.
“He did not instruct me to take any protective precautions,” he said.
The woman’s breathing started to improve and in the meantime a local GP had arrived.
“When I told the doctor I had given her unprotected mouth-to-mouth, he was horrified,” Mr Cole said.
“He told me of the unacceptable risks and advised me to get immediate blood tests for hepatitis and HIV and to repeat them in three months’ time.
Mr Cole sent a complaint to Ambulance Victoria, requesting them to change their policy and when he hadn’t had an adequate response five weeks later, he went to the media.
Ambulance Victoria, however, insists emergency operators would never force or insist that someone perform mouth-to-mouth if they were not comfortable with it.
General manager Operators, Associate Professor Tony Walker, said Triple-zero operators provide instruction and advice, encourage people to render that assistance and highlight the importance of why it needs to be done, but never insist.
He said it was important to stress that in Mr Cole’s situation the chance of a disease being transmitted through mouth-to-mouth was almost zero.
He said there had been no recorded cases and that hepatitis and HIV were blood borne diseases and could not be transmitted through mouth-to-mouth.
He later clarified to say “It would require both people to have open cuts in their mouth and a volume of blood to transmit between the mouths”.
Professor Walker said the Triple-zero call tape had been reviewed and he was confident the operator had complied with the guidelines.
Mr Cole, however, rejects Professor Walker’s statement, saying he was more than encouraged to render assistance, but felt he had no option.
“It’s not just hepatitis and HIV, there are any number of infections that can be transmitted and the simple act of using a hanky or a bit of your shirt, is such a simple solution,” he said.
“I’m not saying don’t help. Obviously, that’s not my view whether it is a drug addict or anyone else, but clearly there are concerns, and it is such a simple change that is needed to address those concerns,” he said.
Ambulance Victoria says it understands Mr Cole’s concerns and should have contacted him earlier.
They have not committed to any review of their guidelines for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.