A Woman Suffering from Cardiac Arrest on the Road? The Chances of Getting a CPR are Minimum!

The Survival Rate is Lower for Women Receiving a CPR Compared to Men

Being empowered with the knowledge of performing a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can save a person’s life. When breathing stops in an individual, every second that we engage ourselves doing something to save the individual counts. Like how is first aid for a person who has met with an accident, so is CPR procedure for a patient whose heart has stopped or no longer breathing. Doing a CPR maintains circulation and breathing until the emergency medical team arrives.

Doing a CPR alone cannot revive the heart. It simply helps to restore flow of oxygenated blood to the brain and heart, thereby delaying tissue death and keeping the person in sizeable state until further help arrives.

The Study on CPR
A new study suggests that women are less likely than men to get a CPR from a bystander and more likely to die. Reluctance to touch a woman’s chest is quoted as the primary reason for this denied CPR treatment, according to researchers.

According to the study, only 39 percent of women suffering from a cardiac arrest in a public place were given CPR compared to 45% of men, out of which men were 23% more likely to survive. This is a first-of-its-kind study to examine gender differences in receiving heart help from public versus professional people.

Common reasons quoted by people to generally avoid giving a CPR to a woman include:

1. Individuals find it terrifying and daunting to think about pushing hard and fast on the woman’s chest.
2. People fear that they might be hurting the woman when they apply force.
3. Rescuers are also worried about moving the woman’s clothing to get better access or touching the breasts to perform the CPR. In reality, you are actually touching in between the breasts.
   
   

In a home setting, there was no gender difference in CPR rates as the rescuer mostly knows the person needing help.
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Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in India and doing a CPR can double or even triple the survival rate. Stop being finicky in a life and death situation and act with moral ethics to save a person’s life. Cardiac arrests are mainly due to unhealthy lifestyle practices which can be corrected with the help of a registered dietitian nutritionist at www.firsteatright.com.