Women less likely to receive lifesaving CPR, says Welsh heart charity

Abby Neve

Women are less likely to receive lifesaving help from a bystander after a cardiac arrest due to ‘embarrassment’, according to a Welsh heart charity.

Calon Hearts, the leading heart screening and defibrillator charity in Wales, are calling for greater awareness of the barriers that may prevent women receiving lifesaving CPR.

One major European study found that 67.9% of women received bystander CPR compared with 72.7% of men.

‘No room for embarrassment’

Sharon Owen, founder and CEO of Calon Hearts, said that uncertainty or embarrassment about touching a woman’s chest when performing CPR should never prevent somebody stepping forward to help.

“Cardiac arrest does not discriminate, and neither should the response to it. It is incredibly concerning that a woman experiencing a cardiac arrest may have a lower chance of somebody stepping forward and performing CPR simply because she is a woman.

“When somebody is unresponsive and not breathing normally, there is no room for embarrassment. Starting CPR and using a defibrillator could give that person their best chance of survival.”

‘Training should reflect real life’

Sharon Owen said that CPR training needs to better reflect a real emergency.

“We also need to look at how we prepare people for that moment. If people only ever practise CPR on the same traditional manikin, are we doing enough to give them the confidence to respond when the person in front of them looks different?

“Training should reflect real life. People need to feel confident performing CPR on women as well as men, on different body shapes and sizes, and in the situations they may actually encounter.”

“We want as many people as possible to have the confidence to step forward rather than step back when somebody collapses. This research gives all of us involved in CPR education something else to think about. Training isn’t only about knowing the technique – it is about making sure people feel able to use it when it really matters.

Resuscitation Council UK has recently encouraged the use of breast vests which can be fitted to standard CPR manikins, allowing people to practise CPR on a more realistic representation of a female body.

They shared on a Facebook post yesterday:

“Did you know women are less likely to receive CPR from a bystander than men? We don’t think that’s good enough. Everyone deserves an equal chance of surviving a cardiac arrest, which is why we’ve added breast vests to our CPR training kit… The more people practise CPR on different body types, the more confident they’ll feel stepping in to help when it matters most..”

What to do if someone is unresponsive

Calon Hearts’ advice if someone is unresponsive is as follows:

“Call 999 immediately. If they are not breathing, start CPR straight away and use a defibrillator as soon as one is available. The ambulance call handler will talk you through what to do if you are unsure.

Most importantly, don’t be afraid to act. Whether the person is a woman or a man, stepping in and starting CPR could help save their life.”

Sharon added:

“Whether the person in front of you is a man or a woman, the message is the same: call 999, start CPR and get a defibrillator. Never let embarrassment stop you trying to save a life.”

Calon Hearts is also encouraging businesses, schools, sports clubs and communities to consider whether they have access to a defibrillator – and whether people know how to use it.

Defibrillators can be purchased through their website: the charity can provide a defibrillator and come to your workplace or community to show you how to use it, with CPR training included so that people have both the equipment and the confidence to act in an emergency.

Calon Hearts is also inviting communities and organisations to apply for support through its Summer Defib Scheme, which provides grants towards the cost of a defibrillator.

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