Influence of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic and Bystander-victim Relationship on the Willingness of Laypeople and Health-care Providers to Perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Abstract

Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) reduces mortality from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The willingness to perform CPR (W-CPR) is also critical. Uncertain effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on W-CPR were reported. Our objectives aim to examine W-CPR during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the influence of the bystander-victim relationship, bystander characteristics, and CPR background on the W-CPR of laypeople and healthcare providers (HCPs). A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between August 2020 and November 2020 among Thai laypeople and HCPs. A structured questionnaire was given to volunteers as an online survey. We recorded W-conventional CPR (W-C-CPR), W-compression-only CPR (W-CO-CPR), chest compression, automated external defibrillator (AED), mouth-to-mouth, face shield, and pocket mask ventilation on family members (FMs), acquaintances, and strangers during the study (pandemic) and in nonpandemic situation and analyzed. We included 419 laypeople and 716 HCPs. During the pandemic, laypeople expressed less willingness in all interventions (P < 0.05) except W-CO-CPR in FMs and AED in FMs and acquaintances. HCPs were less willing to any interventions (P < 0.05). Laypeople showed comparable W-C-CPR and W-CO-CPR between FMs and acquaintances but less among strangers (P < 0.05). HCPs’ W-CPR differed significantly depending on their relationship (P < 0.05), except W-CO-CPR between FMs and acquaintances. CPR self-efficacy, single marital status, CPR experience, and HCPs reported higher W-CO-CPR in FMs. Participants were less W-CPR during the COVID-19 pandemic on all recipients (laypeople: 2.8%–21.0%, HCPs: 7.6%–31.2%), except for laypeople with FMs. The recipient’s relationship was more critical in W-C-CPR than in W-CO-CPR, especially in HCPs.