Research on Procedures in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation that Lie Outside Current Guidelines

Abstract

The first national guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation were published by the American Heart Association in 1974 [1]. They were called ‘standards’, a word that was omitted in later versions because it was believed to be too prescriptive; ‘guidelines’ was considered more appropriate. Within a few years, organisations that had been set up to promote community resuscitation in several parts of the world, introduced their own guidelines including the Resuscitation Council (UK), the Scandinavian Resuscitation Council, the Australian Resuscitation Council, and the Southern African Resuscitation Council. These initiatives standardised resuscitation care within their spheres of influence. As the advantages of uniformity became clear so there were moves to create larger groups to share knowledge and expertise. The European Resuscitation Council was formed in 1989 and published European guidelines in 1992 [2]. In the same year, the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) was set up. This led directly to the publication of International Guidelines on Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiac Care in 2000, the first truly international consensus on the science of resuscitation [3]. We now have the position that advice on the management of cardiac arrest in one part of the world is likely be very similar, or at least recognised, elsewhere.