08/07/2024
Did you know that women are 27% less likely to receive life saving CPR than men? Why? Because we have breasts.
From recent studies it has shown that a lot of people would be put off giving CPR to a woman if they were a bystander due to fear of sexual harassment, religious views or just plain embarrassment.
It is therefore important to raise awareness and give everyone the information they need to be able to give cpr confidently, especially when it is a woman. This is something I believe as a first aid trainer is super important, so I always include this as a practical in my sessions.
🍒Breasts
You are not placing your hands on the casualty’s breasts; the heel of your hands will be on the sternum. And you are acting purposely with the intention of saving a life. No one in the UK will ever experience any legal consequence for exposing a woman's breasts in public and commencing CPR.
👙Bras
When using an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) Bras are removed to facilitate the placement of the pads. The top right pad (pictured red) can easily slip under the right shoulder strap but you will struggle to place the lower left pad (pictured blue) under the chest strap. Remember, the lower left pad is placed far around the side and high up. Bras can be pretty bulky and strong, especially where the cups meet so cut the chest strap on each side and lift the bra out of the way for quick removal.
All AED’s should include a pair of Tuff cut scissors to remove clothing prior to attaching the pads, so check yours has one, if you don’t have an AED having a pair of these in your first aid kit is handy so you are prepared.
If you want to know more please get in touch and book a first aid training session with me.
