UK women who suffer cardiac arrest in public less likely to get CPR, study finds
Women who go into cardiac arrest in public are less likely than men to receive chest compressions from bystanders as people “worry about touching their breasts”, according to a study.
The research by St John Ambulance said nearly a quarter of the 1,000 Britons surveyed admitted they were less likely to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a woman in public, with a third of men worrying they would be accused of “inappropriate” touching when giving CPR to a woman compared with 13% of females.
The survey suggests the “taboo” surrounding women’s chests creates an “alarming gender disparity” in access to emergency medical care as only 68% of women are likely to receive CPR from bystanders compared with 73% of men.
Previous research has shown that more than 8,200 women in England and Wales could have survived a heart attack if they had been given the same treatment as men, according to an analysis of data from between 2003 and 2013.
Jordan Davison, a community experience manager at St John Ambulance, which teaches first aid and emergency medical services, said: “Our message to people is that it is always better to do something than nothing in these circumstances.
“Regardless of gender, when it comes to CPR, every ‘body’ is the same, the technique is the same, and everyone deserves the best possible chance of survival.”
Source: The Guardian, 16 October 2024