Cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, and the person beside you may be the only one in a position to help. Yet a new American Heart Association finding suggests many Americans would hesitate in that moment. Only about half of U.S. adults say they would feel confident performing CPR in an emergency.
The reasons for hesitation are varied. Some worry about performing the technique incorrectly or injuring the person they are trying to save. Others fear legal consequences. And a significant number assume that someone else will step in — a mindset that can leave no one acting at all.
The report's takeaway is that confidence, not just knowledge, is a key barrier to bystander intervention. Public health efforts aimed at expanding CPR training may need to address these fears directly if they want more people to act when seconds count.