Background: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)aims to increase the chance of survival following cardiac arrest. Approximately 80% of cardiac arrestsoccur out-of-hospital,with 53%witnessed by a bystander. We aimed to establish the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of the general Saudi society toward CPR. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2016 and February 2017, using aconvenience sample. Questionnaires were distributed to participants, and an online link was formulated and distributed on social media. Results: A total of 391 men and women aged >18 years responded to the survey: 78.3% of respondents had heard of CPR, with media (44.4%)being the primary source of information, and 60.9% of respondents knew the correct hand positioning for chest compressions. Overall, 43% of respondents stated that they would refuse to perform CPR if required to—lack of knowledge (61.3%) and fear of making the situation worse (33.3%) were the most common reasons given. The main reason for notattending a CPR course was insufficient advertising(79.3%).The definition of CPR depended on the level of education. Conclusion: CPR is an essential life-saving tool. Despite global and local efforts to enhance awareness, our study showed a general lack of knowledge about CPR.
