Research published today (21st May 2019) in the European Heart Journal suggests that “Women have lower chances than men to be resuscitated and survive out-of-hospital cardiac arrest” The study, led by cardiologist Dr Hanno Tan (MD, PhD) at the University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands), found that “people did not recognise that women who collapsed were having a cardiac arrest, leading to delays in calling the emergency services and delays in providing resuscitation treatment.”
The Resuscitation Council UK have released a statement stating:
- People may be less aware that cardiac arrest can occur as often in women
- Women may have symptoms of an impending heart attack that are less easy to interpret, such as fatigue, fainting, vomiting and neck or jaw pain, whereas men are more likely to report typical complaints such as chest pain
For the best chance of survival in any Cardiac Arrest it is vital to act promptly regardless of sex, dial 999, start chest compression’s and access a defibrillator.
