Overview
- Fewer than 30% of 169 scripted U.S. episodes since 2008 depicted the two-step hands-only approach correctly.
- Nearly half of scenes showed rescue breaths and 43% included pulse checks, steps not advised for untrained bystanders.
- On-screen cardiac arrests skewed toward younger adults and public locations, whereas most real events involve older people at home.
- Recipients and rescuers were disproportionately white and male, mirroring real-world gaps in who receives bystander CPR.
- More on-screen victims received layperson CPR than in reality, 58% versus under 40%, prompting calls for partnerships to improve accuracy and encourage action.