Stress reactions and perceived difficulties of lay responders to a medical emergency

BACKGROUND: Bystander CPR rates remain low. One reason may be that the thought of responding to an emergency is so stressful that it decreases the willingness of laypersons to respond. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to quantify the amount of stress experienced by lay responders to a medical emergency and to identify barriers that may have impeded their response to the event.