BYSTANDER CARDIOPULMONARY-RESUSCITATION - CONCERNS ABOUT MOUTH-TO-MOUTH CONTACT

Background: Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is performed on only a small percentage of patients who suffer cardiac arrest. We conducted a study to elucidate attitudes toward and potential obstacle s to performance of bystander CPR. Methods: Attitude survey of 975 peo ple on the University Heart Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, mai ling list. Participants were asked about their willingness to perform CPR under four conditions, with varying relationships (stranger vs rel ative or friend) and CPR techniques (chest compressions plus mouth-to- mouth ventilation [CC+V] vs chest compressions alone [CC]). Results: P articipants rated willingness to perform CPR and concern about disease transmission. Both relationship and CPR technique affected willingnes s to respond. Only 15% would ''definitely'' provide CC+V with stranger s compared with 68% who would ''definitely'' perform CC. Even with rel atives or friends, only 74% would ''definitely'' provide CC+V compared with 88% who would ''definitely'' provide CC. Eighty-two percent of p articipants were at least ''moderately'' concerned about disease trans mission. Conclusion: Concerns regarding mouth-to-mouth ventilation app ear to create substantial barriers to performance of bystander CPR. In tensified educational efforts and investigations of new approaches to bystander CPR are warranted.