Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation differences by sex – The role of arrest recognition

Purpose: 

To assess whether bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) differed by patient sex among bystander-witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA). 

Methods: 

This study is a retrospective analysis of paramedic-attended OHCA in New South Wales (NSW) between January 2017 to December 2019 (restricted to bystander-witnessed cases). Exclusions included OHCA in aged care, medical facilities, with advance care directives, from non-medical causes. Multivariate logistic regression examined the association of patient sex with bystander CPR. Secondary outcomes were OHCA recognition, bystander AED application, initial shockable rhythm, and survival outcomes. 

Results: 

Of 4,491cases, females were less likely to receive bystander CPR in private residential (Adjusted Odds ratio [AOR]: 0.82, 95%CI: 0.70–0.95) and public locations (AOR: 0.58, 95%CI:0.39–0.88). OHCA recognition during the emergency call was lower for females arresting in public locations (84.6% vs 91.6%, p = 0.002) and this partially explained the association of sex with bystander CPR (∼44%). This difference in recognition was not observed in private residential locations (p = 0.2). Bystander AED use was lower for females (4.8% vs 9.6%, p < 0.001); however, after adjustment for location and other covariates, this relationship was no longer significant (AOR: 0.83, 95%CI: 0.60–1.12). Females were less likely to be in an initial shockable rhythm (AOR: 0.52, 95%CI: 0.44–0.61), but more likely to survive the event (AOR: 1.34, 95%CI: 1.15–1.56). There was no sex difference in survival to hospital discharge (AOR: 0.96, 95%CI: 0.77–1.19). 

Conclusion: 

OHCA recognition and bystander CPR differ by patient sex in NSW. Research is needed to understand why this difference occurs and to raise public awareness of this issue.