Increasing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Provision in Communities With Low Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Rates

Abstract

There are approximately 360 000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) in the United States each year, accounting for 15% of all deaths.1 Striking geographic variation in OHCA outcomes has been observed, with survival rates varying from 0.2% in Detroit, MI,2 to 16% in Seattle, WA.3 Survival variation can be explained in part by differing rates of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), a vital link in improving survival for victims of OHCA. For every 30 people who receive bystander CPR, 1 additional life is saved.4 Communities that have increased rates of bystander CPR have experienced improvements in OHCA survival5,6; therefore, a promising approach to increasing OHCA survival is to increase the provision of bystander CPR.