This study tests the hypothesis that in Memphis, Tennessee, a city comprised of 58.6% blacks and 41.1% whites, blacks are substantially less likely than whites to receive bystander CPR. One thousand sixty-eight case reports (56% black victims, 44% white victims) submitted by the Memphis Fire Department Emergency Medical System (the exclusive provider of advanced life support to persons within the city limits) were analyzed to determine the victim’s age, sex, and race, as well as the location and whether the arrest was witnessed.

The study revealed that “the proportion of black victims who received bystander CPR was substantially less than that of white victims (9.8% versus 21.4%).” Overall, blacks were 54% less likely to have received bystander CPR. Furthermore, the authors found that “other variables known to influence the provision of bystander CPR, such as whether the arrest was witnessed and location of collapse, did not account for the difference between the two groups.” The provision of EMS resuscitation did not differ significantly between black and white victims (27.0% versus 31.6%, respectively), however “blacks were less likely to survive to hospital admission (21.9% versus 29.1% for whites; odds ratio, 0.75; 95% CI: 0.61 to 0.93).”

Two possible explanations are offered for the racial differences in bystander resuscitation. First, “if white bystanders were reluctant to initiate CPR on a black victim, this could explain why blacks were less likely to receive CPR in public places.” Second, “differences in CPR training could account for the racial differences in bystander CPR,” thus, according to the authors, blacks may be less likely to be trained to perform this service. However, this hypothesis could not be tested since demographic information on bystander was not collected and agencies providing CPR training in Memphis do not record the race of their trainees.