Women are less likely to survive a cardiac arrest in public because people are worried about touching their breast area in order to perform life-saving CPR.
Women less likely to get CPR
Recent research has revealed how 45 per cent of men were resuscitated after a heart attack yet only 39 per cent of women got the same help because people - particularly men - didn't feel comfortable placing their hands on their chest for fear of hurting them.
Audrey Blewer, a University of Pennsylvania researcher, said: ''It can be kind of daunting thinking about hard and fast on the centre of a women's chest and some people may fear they are hurting her.''
However, as another study leader, Dr. Benjamin Abella said, ''You put your hands on the sternum, which is the middle of the chest. In theory, you're touching in between the breasts. This is not a time to be squeamish because it's a life and death situation.''