Public CPR and AED Knowledge: An Opportunity for Educational Outreach in South Carolina

摘要

Objectives Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, and the key to increased survival is emergent bystander intervention. A growing body of evidence has shown that timely bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation are significantly correlated with an increased likelihood of survival. Despite these demonstrated benefits, bystanders perform these interventions in less than half of witnessed SCA cases. We hypothesized that the level of public CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) knowledge may be limited and may play a role in the likelihood of intervening.