Tweet Facebook Mail Researchers believe a crucial feature lacking from most CPR manikins may be the reason women are less likely to receive lifesaving resuscitation from bystanders after suffering cardiac arrest. Women are 14 per cent less likely than men to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and are more likely to die in the aftermath. A research team from Bond University suspects the disparity is due to 95 per cent of manikins not having breasts or being flat-chested.
READ MORE: Katy Perry wins trademark battle against Aussie fashion designer Most CPR manikins don't have breasts and researchers believe this could be contributing to women being less likely to receive life-saving CPR. (Getty) "Previous studies have shown that some bystanders fear providing CPR to women in out-of-hospital environments due to fear of being accused of assault, or for cultural reasons," Dr Jessica Stokes Parish said. She said CPR training on manikins with breasts may help break down the stigma.
Of 20 CPR manikins on the market, the study found eight were identified as male, seven had no gender or sex specified (all of these had flat chests), and the remaining five manikins were female but only one of them had breasts. Ironically, the world's first CPR manikin, introduced in 1960, was modelled on a female – a dead teenager who was found floating in the Seine in Paris. Dr Stokes Parish, who is an expert in simulation-based medical training, said the research provided an oppo.