# Study Shows Black Children Less Likely to Receive Bystander CPR



## DrParasite (Jul 12, 2019)

July 10—African American children living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods are significantly less likely than their Caucasian counterparts in disadvantaged or wealthier areas to receive CPR from a bystander, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

Prior studies have examined bystander CPR rates in adults, but this is the first time racial and socioeconomic factors have been analyzed exclusively in children in the United States.
...
Among the findings:


Overall, 3,399 children (48%) received bystander CPR.
Compared to white children, bystander CPR was 41% less likely for black kids; 22% less likely for Hispanics and 6% less likely among other ethnic groups.
Black children living in majority black neighborhoods with high unemployment, low education and low median income were almost half as likely to receive bystander CPR compared to white children with rates of (59.7% versus 32.1%).
....
“As most bystander CPR is provided by family members, lower response rates are likely due to a lack of CPR training and recognition of cardiac arrests,” she said, noting that teaching CPR to parents before a newborn is released from the hospital, or during pediatrician visits would be good opportunities for such training. 
....
read the rest at: https://www.emsworld.com/press-rele...ck-children-less-likely-receive-bystander-cpr


----------



## EMDispatch (Jul 12, 2019)

Does anyone have access to the full study. Most, not all, 911 systems in the US are providing the CPR instructions. Are they tracking when instructions are provided and if they are being refused,etc?

Public education is a significant factor, but anecdotally I feel like there’s some cultural barriers  playing a bigger factor.


----------



## DrParasite (Jul 12, 2019)

you mean https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.119.012637?


----------



## EMDispatch (Jul 12, 2019)

Gracias,

My internet is sketchy on my mobile at work.

It’s a shame the study did nothing to capture CPR instruction from 911. Granted it’s not a be all, end all, but it’s the current system stop gap for lack of education in the layperson. It would have added a lot more to depth of the study, and added a little more weight to the conclusion and recommendations.


----------



## Peak (Jul 12, 2019)

EMDispatch said:


> Does anyone have access to the full study. Most, not all, 911 systems in the US are providing the CPR instructions. Are they tracking when instructions are provided and if they are being refused,etc?



Every hospital I know of requires some form of video or hands on CPR training before discharge from mom/baby or the NICU, it surprises me the numbers are so low. Granted this doesn't capture every care giver or every child but the rate of CPR even among the white socially advantaged children shocks me as being so low. Did they actually capture which kids had their caregivers taught CPR prior to hospital discharge (and those born in home or birthing centers seem to be of more affluent backgrounds too).

I skimmed through quickly but i would be curious a bit more regarding down times or how patients were found. Working in a downtown medical center in a large city we certainly see a fair number of kids of African or Hispanic descent, and I can't think of any where the family didn't attempt CPR.


----------



## RocketMedic (Jul 18, 2019)

Cultural factors and learned responses to stressors likely play a huge part in this problem. I’d also be very interested to see if there is a correlation between fervor of religious belief and CPR rates as opposed to less effective measures. Anecdotally, I’ve seen this same issue in multiple age groups in the African American population...textbook witnessed or near-witnessed arrest, rapid family awareness and timely 911 activation, but instead of CPR a prayer circle. 

Perhaps the churches could be recruited to help teach CPR?


----------



## EMDispatch (Jul 18, 2019)

RocketMedic said:


> Cultural factors and learned responses to stressors likely play a huge part in this problem. I’d also be very interested to see if there is a correlation between fervor of religious belief and CPR rates as opposed to less effective measures. Anecdotally, I’ve seen this same issue in multiple age groups in the African American population...textbook witnessed or near-witnessed arrest, rapid family awareness and timely 911 activation, but instead of CPR a prayer circle.
> 
> Perhaps the churches could be recruited to help teach CPR?



Yeah the finding of “we should increase CPR training” is pretty weak. Again anecdotally, but I think the cultural and learned responses are the bigger issues at play.

The church calls are always interesting from our side. 10 people call, no one knows anything about the patient, and the prayer circles cause an added level of difficulty understanding the callers.


----------



## Seirende (Jul 24, 2019)

RocketMedic said:


> Cultural factors and learned responses to stressors likely play a huge part in this problem. I’d also be very interested to see if there is a correlation between fervor of religious belief and CPR rates as opposed to less effective measures. Anecdotally, I’ve seen this same issue in multiple age groups in the African American population...textbook witnessed or near-witnessed arrest, rapid family awareness and timely 911 activation, but instead of CPR a prayer circle.
> 
> Perhaps the churches could be recruited to help teach CPR?



I love watching awful "serious" Christian films because they crack me up and almost this exact thing happened in the very popular first God's Not Dead film. An atheist professor got hit by a car and the two Christians decided to have prayer time instead of calling an ambulance.


----------



## DragonClaw (Aug 7, 2019)

Seirende said:


> I love watching awful "serious" Christian films because they crack me up and almost this exact thing happened in the very popular first God's Not Dead film. An atheist professor got hit by a car and the two Christians decided to have prayer time instead of calling an ambulance.



I'm Catholic, I go to mass weekly.

If someone needs an ambulance,  they need an ambulance.

This is where that old joke comes in with the punch line of:

"I sent a car,  a truck,  a boat and a helicopter,  what more did you want?"

Okay,  okay, so maybe if you're not able to help or the people who are helping are sufficient for the task or whatever,  pray.  Prayer is good.  So is actually doing something (Faith without works is dead)

If I die permanently,  call a priest,  do the last rites and holy oils. If I'm not. Give me a dr asap.


----------

