2010
Jerry P. Nolana, Jasmeet Soarb, David A. Zidemanc, Dominique Biarentd, Leo L. Bossaerte,
Charles Deakinf, Rudolph W. Kosterg, Jonathan Wyllieh, Bernd Böttigeri,
on behalf of the ERC Guidelines Writing Group1
The publication of these European Resuscitation Council (ERC) Guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) updates those that were published in 2005 and maintains the established 5-yearly cycle of guideline changes.1 Like the previous guidelines, these 2010 guidelines are based on the most recent International Consensus on CPR Science with Treatment Recommendations (CoSTR),2 which incorporated the results of systematic reviews of a wide range of topics relating to CPR. Resuscitation science continues to advance, and clinical guidelinesmustbe updated regularly to reflect these developments and advise healthcare providers on best practice. In between the 5-yearly guideline updates, interim scientific statements can inform the healthcare provider aboutnewtherapies that might influence outcome significantly.3 This executive summary provides the essential treatment algorithms for the resuscitation of children and adults and highlights the main guideline changes since 2005. Detailed guidance is provided in each of the remaining nine sections, which are published as individual papers within this issue of Resuscitation.Executive summary
Adult basic life support and use of automated external defibrillators
Electrical therapies: Automated external defibrillators, defibrillation, cardioversion and pacing
Adult advanced life support
Initial management of acute coronary syndromes
Paediatric life support
Resuscitation of babies at birth
Cardiac arrest in special circumstances: Electrolyte abnormalities, poisoning, drowning, accidental hypothermia, hyperthermia, asthma, anaphylaxis, cardiac surgery, trauma, pregnancy, electrocution
Principles of education in resuscitation
The ethics of resuscitation and end-of-life decisions
