Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, commonly known as CPR is often misinterpreted, especially by Indians as we see it as a pretext of romanticizing a situation in films and TV series. However, in reality, it’s much more than that. CPR is not just saving someone from drowning by giving them mouth to mouth respiration. It’s the most crucial first aid that can be to a fainting person or someone who has suffered a cardiac arrest.
Cardiac Issues in India
Considering the fact that India is highly affected by cardiac diseases, obesity, and diabetes, it makes the situation even more serious. This may lead to higher rate of mortality due to cardiac issues. In such a scenario, CPR can be a great help for saving lives but since people are not aware of the details, they are either unable to detect the signs of a cardiac arrest or they don’t know how to give CPR. Reportedly, 98% of Indians know nothing about CPR.
Hesitation to perform CPR
However, it’s not just people’s ignorance; many even hesitate while performing chest compression for the patient. Research has shown that women are less likely to receive CPR than men. Evidently, the differently formed chest of a woman makes men reluctant to perform CPR on the female. This hesitation is nothing but the reflection of the gender biases in the society.
The men are either afraid of being misunderstood by the bystanders or they are unwilling to touch a woman because of the conservative norms of our society that restricts physical intimacy in public places. As compared to the west, Indian society is much more reluctant in breaking that barrier of societal conventions. Many hesitate in adjusting the clothes of a woman to administer CPR.
Misconceptions related to CPR
Dr. Vanita Arora, Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology, says that it’s a misconception that CPR has to do anything with breasts. The pressure has to be built in between the breasts where the sternum is located. This boosts the blood circulation and prevents the pulse from giving away.
In an article, she writes that we need to make people aware of CPR as a pure medical intervention associated with medical and biological science and not relate it to the sexual context. It’s important to note that we as a society are more inclined towards taking ideas from TV series and films and hence we only look at CPR in a sexual, romantic context.
Why do we need to be aware of CPR?
We need to prioritize what’s important to us; saving the life of a dying person or thinking about the societal norms and the gender bias prevailing in the society. We need to understand that CPR needs to be given to a person in need whereby the cast, creed, sex, or religion of the person involved is of no importance because the aim is to save the life of a person and give him/her immediate relief before the professional help arises.
