Bystander CPR is Underused in Hispanic Communities

Hispanics living in predominantly Hispanic communities who suffer cardiac arrest have a lower chance of receiving bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (B-CPR) and are at an increased risk of dying, according to the findings of a study which appeared in the journal Circulation.

“(B-CPR) delivery and survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest vary at the neighborhood level, with lower survival seen in predominantly black neighborhoods,” the research authors wrote in their abstract.

“Although the Hispanic population is the fastest-growing minority population in the United States, few studies have assessed whether the proportion of Hispanic residents in a neighborhood is associated with B-CPR delivery and survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. We assessed whether B-CPR rates and survival vary by neighborhood-level ethnicity. We hypothesized that neighborhoods with a higher proportion of Hispanic residents have lower B-CPR rates and lower survival.”

In this study, researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium Epistry at US sites. Between 2011 and 2015, they collected 27,481 cardiac arrest events, of which 18,927 were included in the study. The researchers classified neighborhoods based on census numbers which identified the percentage of Hispanic residents. Subsequently, they independently modeled the likelihood of receipt of B-CPR and survival by neighborhood-level ethnicity while controlling for site and patient-level confounding data.

Troubling Results

According to the results of the study, B-CPR was administered in 37% of events. Disturbingly, the researchers observed that in neighborhoods with less than 25% Hispanic residents, B-CPR was administered in 39% of events compared to only 27% of events in neighborhoods with a Hispanic population of over 75%.

The authors wrote in their conclusion that: “These findings suggest a need to understand the underlying disparities in cardiopulmonary resuscitation delivery and an unmet cardiopulmonary resuscitation training need in Hispanic communities.”

congrats to Dr. Blewer & our ROC collaborators – new work shows worrisome disparities in CPR delivery & survival in Latino neighborhoods across US @AudreyBlewer @sarahmperman @DraCoquiMD @USresus4life @CHsu1012 @jameshorowitzmd @OscarJMitchell #CPR https://t.co/hZ2vvPzoBN pic.twitter.com/bfjnPLLQYL

— Benjamin Abella, MD MPhil (@BenjaminAbella) January 2, 2020

Lead author Audrey L. Blewer, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor in the department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Duke University said in a press release that: “It is critical to consider how to address these disparities, including targeted CPR training for Hispanic populations.”

Why is bystander CPR & survival lower in Latino neighborhoods? Check out the thread below! 👇 #healthdisparities #cprsaveslives https://t.co/Fzy2Xz8cLR

— Audrey Blewer, PhD, MPH (@AudreyBlewer) January 2, 2020