Fear of touching women's chests may be barrier to giving CPR, researchers say

Study finds that women are less likely than men to be treated by bystanders: ‘It can be kind of daunting thinking about pushing hard on a woman’s chest’

Women are less likely than men to get CPR from a bystander and more likely to die, a new study suggests, and researchers think reluctance to touch a woman’s chest might be one reason.

The study was funded by the Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health and was discussed on Sunday at an American Heart Association conference in Anaheim. It involved nearly 20,000 cases around the country and is the first to examine gender differences in receiving heart help from the public versus professional responders.

Related: At the call of ‘cardiac arrest’, you swing into action – and try until all hope is gone | Saleyha Ahsan

Continue reading... November 13, 2017 at 02:44AM