Purpose of the study: To evaluate willingness to attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and elucidate barriers to perform CPR in the selected population of the post-Soviet area.
Materials and methods: Willingness to attempt CPR and potential barriers to perform CPR on a stranger or a loved one were inquired as part of the personal interview survey of adult lay public of the Crimean peninsula (November 2017-January 2018; n=384).
Results: The majority of respondents expressed at least some willingness to perform CPR on a stranger (79%) or a friend/relative (91%). About 35% and 72% participants stated they will definitely do CPR on a stranger or a loved one, respectively. Willingness to perform CPR was positively associated with previous CPR training (p≤0.012) and self-perceived level of CPR knowledge (p<0.001), but independent from the timing of last training, number of attended courses, experience of cardiac arrest in real life or medical education (p>0.05). Lack of CPR knowledge and skills and fear to cause harm to a victim were the commonest barriers to perform CPR (reported by 67% and 63% participants, respectively).
Conclusions: The results show high rates of readiness to attempt CPR in the Crimean population with higher willingness to perform CPR on a loved one, than on a stranger. Considering previously trained are declaring higher willingness to attempt CPR, and the lack of resuscitation knowledge and fear to cause harm constitute the main barriers to perform CPR, there is a potential to increase the willingness by means of enhancing public education in resuscitation.

8 - Community willingness to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation: the Crimean survey