Public attention to cardiac arrest in China: A Baidu Index analysis of online search trends and hotspot events.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze trends in public attention to cardiac arrest-related information in mainland China using the Baidu Index.

METHODS

This study retrieved Baidu Index data for the search keywords "cardiac arrest," "myocardial infarction," "cerebral infarction," "cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)," and "automated external defibrillator (AED)" from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2025. Temporal trends and differences in Baidu Index values among these keywords were analyzed. For the three cardiac arrest-related keywords (cardiac arrest, CPR, AED), the top 10 high-search events were identified. Event duration and corresponding real-world triggers (hotspot events) were recorded and analyzed.

RESULTS

Median (IQR) Baidu Index values were significantly higher for myocardial infarction [4384 (1382) vs 1612 (451), Z=-43.260, P<0.001] and cerebral infarction [6923 (2733) vs 1612 (451), Z=-43.529, P<0.001] than for cardiac arrest. Median (IQR) Baidu Index value for CPR was higher than for cardiac arrest [2790 (1279) vs 1612 (451), Z=-42.101, P<0.001], whereas the value for AED was lower [1368 (529) vs 1612 (451), Z=-12.878, P<0.001]. All keywords showed a declining trend from 2023 onward. Among 23 identified high-search events, 21.74% involved public figures and 69.56% were emergency cases. Public figure events had a longer duration than emergency cases [11.0 (15.0) days vs 3.5 (4.0) days, U = 15.000, Z=-2.083, P = 0.040]. Three events produced simultaneous extreme search peaks across all three cardiac arrest-related keywords, all involved public figures.

CONCLUSION

Public attention to cardiac arrest remained lower than to myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction, while attention to AED was increasing annually. The use of search engines for health information-seeking was declining. Hotspot events, particularly those involving public figures, can significantly elevate public interest in cardiac arrest and related first-aid knowledge.