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Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine psychological consequences of teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to family members of patients at risk for sudden death., Methods: Patient-family pairs (n = 337) were randomized into one of four groups: control, CPR only, CPR with cardiac risk factor education, and CPR with a social support intervention. Only family members received CPR training. Data on emotional state and psychosocial adjustment to illness were collected at baseline, 2 weeks, and 3 and 6 months following CPR training., Results: There were no significant differences in the emotional states of family members across the four groups. However, significant differences in psychosocial adjustment and emotional states occurred in patients across treatment groups following CPR training. Patients whose family members learned CPR with the social support intervention reported better psychosocial adjustment and less anxiety and hostility than patients in the other groups. Control patients reported better psychosocial adjustment and less emotional distress than patients in the CPR-only and CPR-education groups., Conclusions: These findings support tailoring family CPR training so that instruction does not result in negative psychological states in patients. The findings also illustrate the efficacy of a simple intervention that combines CPR training with social support.

The purpose of the study was to determine the attitudes toward cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training and subsequent CPR use of 172 CPR-trained family members of cardiac patients. The majority (88.9%) reported positive attitudes. Only 14 (8.1%) reported feeling too responsible for their family member. One hundred and forty-one (81.9%) said that they would perform CPR if required to do so. Family members do not feel unduly burdened by learning CPR, and CPR training should be recommended to families of patients at risk for sudden cardiac death.

We investigated the survival benefit bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for out-of-hospital emergencies in a paramedic served area of metropolitan Los Angeles. Clinical information for all events occurring between January 1 and December 31, 1978 was obtained from paramedic report forms and hospital medical records. Bystander CPR was performed for 93 cases and, of these, 20 (22 per cent) survived to hospital discharge, as compared to 7 (5 per cent) of the 150 patients not receiving bystander CPR (p less than 0.001). Twelve (27 per cent) of the 45 patients in ventricular fibrillation (VF) who had bystander CPR survived, as compared to 4 (6 per cent) of 70 VF patients without bystander CPR (p less than 0.01). We conclude that bystander CPR, initiated prior to arrival of paramedics, produced a fourfold improvement in survival. Overall there was a 10 per cent survival rate at hospital discharge. Survival rates reported from Seattle may not necessarily be generalized to larger cities.