Effects of telephone-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the sex disparity in provision of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation in public locations

Abstract

Purpose: Telephone-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (TA-CPR) is an effective community intervention to increase bystander CPR rates. This study evaluated the effect of TA-CPR on the provision of bystander CPR as a function of the patient's sex. Methods: Adult (aged ≥ 18 years) patients who collapsed in a public location between January 2013 and December 2017 and received emergency medical service (EMS) treatment for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) of presumed cardiac aetiology were included in the study. The main exposures were TA-CPR and the patients’ sex. The primary outcome was the implementation of bystander CPR by laypersons. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted, stratified based on the provision of TA-CPR, to examine the effect on bystander CPR according to patient sex. Results: In the final analysis, 15,840 patients with OHCAs were included. Patients who received TA-CPR accounted for 32.6% (5167/15,840) of the sample. Overall, 84.4% (814/964) of the women and 86.9% (3653/4203) of the men received bystander CPR in the TA-CPR group (P < 0.001). In the non-TA-CPR group, 40.5% (912/2252) of women and 47.3% (3653/8421) of men received bystander CPR (P < 0.001). In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, there was no significant difference in the odds ratio (OR) of bystander CPR according to patient sex in the TA-CPR group (adjusted OR [AOR], 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68–1.01). Women were less likely to receive bystander CPR if the bystanders are not directed by TA-CPR (AOR: 0.79; 95% CI, 0.70–0.87). Conclusions: TA-CPR attenuated the sex disparity in bystander CPR provided in public places.