Gender disparities in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: implications for public health and bystander interventions in Zhengzhou

Significant gender disparities were identified in prehospital outcomes of OHCA patients in Zhengzhou. Compared with men, women were older and less likely to experience a cardiac arrest in public locations, have the event witnessed, receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from a bystander, present with a shockable rhythm, or require an automated external defibrillator (AED). These factors collectively contributed to substantially lowered prehospital ROSC rates among women. Targeted public health strategies-such as expanding inclusive CPR training, promoting gender-sensitive AED use, enhancing community awareness of female resuscitation, and optimizing emergency medical service protocols-are urgently required to reduce these disparities.