explain some of the disparities in receiving CPR at home, Chan says.
One solution may be thinking creatively about offering low-cost CPR instruction to vulnerable populations who may not historically have had access to training, the authors suggest.
Revising training materials may also help, Chan says. For example, training videos could include scenarios where bystanders or a person experiencing cardiac arrest are people of color. The mannequins used for training could also have more diverse skin colors.
“That’s the first thing we need to do,” Chan shares. “We also need to make a really aggressive effort to offer bystander CPR training for free in Black and Hispanic communities.”
If a community has a large population that speaks a specific language, such as Nigerian or Cuban, for example, it may help if there are dispatchers available who also speak those languages, Garcia suggests. That would enable someone in a home or public setting to provide guided CPR assistance in a crisis, without language as a barrier.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of data that can capture, nationally, what is the success of dispatcher-assisted CPR,” Garcia says.
He calls for better tracking of that data for future study.
The researchers also note that overall rates of bystander CPR were low across all racial groups.
Dr. Gina Lundberg is a cardiologist in Atlanta and a member of an American College of Cardiology work group on disparities of care.
She expresses surprise at the study results, including the disparities for those experiencing cardiac arrest in their homes. Ensuring that Black and Hispanic communities receive more access to training and opportunities to practice CPR skills might help, she suggests.
Sometimes people are not comfortable initiating CPR, Lundberg explains, because they are uncertain about hurting someone, not knowing how hard to press or how fast to go.
“That’s a place to start,” Lundberg adds.
Another starting point could be emulating a program in Georgia in which all high school seniors are required to learn CPR before graduation, Lundberg suggests.
Minutes can make a huge difference for someone who has had a cardiac arrest. CPR keeps the blood circulating to the brain, heart and vital organs until someone can use an AED or defibrillator, Lundberg adds.
“CPR is a bridge until the real treatment arrives. Most people don’t recover, just getting CPR. They need the electrical shock that you would deliver with the AED or the defibrillator,” Lundberg says.
The American Red Cross offers in-person, online and blended learning CPR courses designed for adults, children, healthcare providers, schools. To find a class near you, click here.
For steps on properly performing CPR, click here.