FRIDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- Having limited knowledge of English can be dangerous for people having a heart attack, new research shows.
People who have limited English proficiency were less likely to have a bystander come to their aid with CPR, faced a greater delay in receiving CPR because dispatchers took longer to recognize the need, and were less likely to survive.
The findings stem from an analysis of data on 906 confirmed cases of cardiac arrest, or the abrupt stoppage of the heart, that occurred away from hospital settings in Kings County, Wash., between June 1, 2004, and October 31, 2007.
About 6 percent of 911 callers had limited English, according to the research, which was to be presented Friday at the American Heart Association's 10th Scientific Forum on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke in Washington, D.C.
Among the findings:
The delays translated into a lower survival rate, the study found. Just 4 percent of those with limited English survived and were discharged from the hospital, compared with 14 percent of fluent English speakers.
Related MedlinePlus Pages:
Home | Health Topics | Drugs & Supplements | Encyclopedia | Dictionary | News | Directories | Other Resources | |
Disclaimers | Copyright | Privacy | Accessibility | Quality Guidelines U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 National Institutes of Health | Department of Health & Human Services |
Date last updated: 27 April 2009 |