A life-threatening event called sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) happens when the heart abruptly stops beating. Despite the fact that both men and women are susceptible to SCA, research indicates that women may have poorer survival rates than men. We will examine the causes of this gap in more detail in this article, shining light on possible explanations for the poorer survival rates for women who experience sudden cardiac arrest.
Identification of Symptoms
Symptom Variations
Compared to men, women may exhibit distinct or unusual symptoms following a heart attack or SCA. Men frequently experience chest discomfort, but women can also experience more modest symptoms including nausea, shortness of breath, back or jaw pain, or excessive exhaustion. These variations in symptom presentation can cause women to take longer to recognize an emergency because they may not immediately link their symptoms to a heart condition. As a result, people might put off getting medical help, which lowers the likelihood that they will get timely interventions.
Societal Awareness
In the past, public education and awareness programs about heart disease and SCA have mostly targeted men. Due to this gender discrimination, women are less knowledgeable and aware of the warning signs and symptoms of heart-related problems. Because of this, women may respond more slowly and have a worse probability of survival. They may also be less aware of the hazards and the severity of their symptoms.
Medical Intervention
Delayed Emergency Services
According to studies, women with SCA may experience longer wait times before receiving medical care than do males. This delay may be brought on by a number of things, such as the notion that males are more likely than women to experience heart problems or the belief that their symptoms are unconnected to cardiac concerns. Women may be reluctant to ask for assistance due to societal expectations or standards, which can cause critical delays in taking action that could save their lives.
Misdiagnosis and Treatment Delays
Women with SCA are more likely to have their symptoms misinterpreted or linked to non-cardiac conditions like anxiety or digestive issues. Receiving the proper medical attention and life-saving interventions may be delayed as a result of this incorrect diagnosis. Healthcare professionals can put off providing women with the necessary care since they are less likely to think about the risk of a heart emergency.
Treatment Inequalities
Rates of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
Research has indicated that women are less likely than men to obtain CPR performed by bystanders in the case of a cardiac arrest. This disparity can be linked to a number of things, such as a lack of understanding of correct CPR techniques, reluctance to administer CPR on women due to worries about modesty, or unconscious biases surrounding gender and medical emergencies. Women's poorer survival rates are also attributed to their lower CPR rates.
Inequalities in Advanced Cardiac Care
It may be difficult for women to acquire timely advanced cardiac treatment, such as defibrillation and specialized procedures. This can be attributable to a number of things, such as variations in how symptoms are presented, biases among healthcare professionals, and variances in access to resources for specialist medical care. Defibrillation or other sophisticated therapies may take longer to administer to women, decreasing their probability of life.
In cases of sudden cardiac arrest, women have poorer survival rates than males do. These differences can be linked to a number of things, such as delayed symptom detection, slow medical response, underuse of medications like CPR, and unequal access to advanced cardiac care. It takes a comprehensive strategy to address these problems, including better medical education to identify and manage heart-related emergencies in women and fair access to life-saving therapies. We can work toward better outcomes and increased survival rates for all people by addressing these variables.