Can pictograms improve the quality of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation?

Purpose: Since the introduction of the modern basic life support in the 1950, on-going efforts have been made to improve the quality of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Even though bystander-CPR can increase the chance of survival almost fourfold, the rates of bystander CPR have remained low and rarely exceed 20%. Lack of confidence and fear of committing mistakes are reasons why helpers refrain from initiating CPR. The authors wanted to test the hypothesis that confidence as well as quality of bystander CPR can be increased by supplying lay helpers with basic life support pictograms (HeartChart) when commencing CPR, in a simulated resuscitation model.