The lifesaving case for CPR dummies with breasts
Every once in a while, I feel the urge to shout “women are not small men!” at inanimate objects. Today, that object is the flat-chested plastic torso typically used for CPR training. Breasts, it turns out, are really the bane of every woman’s existence — the back pain, the boob jail, the running. But here’s […]
Every once in a while, the urge to remind inanimate objects about the truth of "women are not small men" surfaces. Today, that object is the flat-chested plastic torso commonly used for CPR training. Breasts, it turns out, are the real pain point for many women - from back pain to the dreaded "boob jail." But here's a new concern: in the event of a public cardiac arrest, women might be less likely to receive CPR from a bystander.
A 2019 analysis of over 300,000 cardiac arrests showed women were 14 percent less likely to receive CPR from a stranger compared to men. This hesitation likely stems from the fact that nearly everyone learns CPR using traditional, flat-chested manikins, which overwhelmingly represent the male anatomy. One size doesn't fit all - the first CPR manikin, Resusci Anne, was developed in 1960 and modeled after an unnamed drowned girl in Paris.
While Resusci Anne has evolved over the years, about 95 percent of manikins on the market still lack breasts, leaving women underrepresented in CPR training. This disparity could be contributing to the gender gap in survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, which currently sits at around 10 percent.
Written by urgent.news from Vox's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
