- Women who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital are less likely to receive help from bystanders and have less chance of survival than men, a recent Dutch study showed.
Han's team found that despite EMS attempts at resuscitation, only 12.5 percent of women survived and were discharged from the hospital, compared to about 20 percent of men. This difference, the authors say, may point to underlying biologic factors that cause the shockable rhythm to dissipate into a flat line more quickly in women than in men.
People may not realize that women can suffer cardiac arrests just like men, Tan told Reuters Health by phone. Toft, a critical care cardiologist who directs CPR training programs, pointed out that while one cannot change how a cardiac arrest occurs, ensuring that women get bystander support just as often as men will help to improve survival.