The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR)—Past and present: Compiled by the Founding Members of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation

Abstract

The creation of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) has produced a unique opportunity for worldwide collaboration in resuscitation guidelines and practice for the past 15 years. Below is a brief outline of the landmark events and progress of this organization, which has become the authoritative voice on the consensus on science behind national and international guidelines on resuscitation. 1990: In June 1990, representatives from the American Heart Association (AHA), European Resuscitation Council (ERC), Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC), and the Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC), attended a meeting, hosted by the Laerdal Foundation, at the Utstein Abbey on the remote Island of Mosteroy in Norway. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the problems of resuscitation nomenclature and the lack of standardised language in reports relating to adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. This was the first important collaborative venture involving existing Resuscitation Councils from around the world. A follow-up meeting was held in December 1990 in Surrey, England, where the decision was made to adopt the term ‘Utstein-style’ for the uniform reporting of data from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests [ [1] Cummins R.O. Chamberlain D.A. Abramson N.S. et al. Recommended guidelines for uniform reporting of data from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: the utstein style. a statement for health professionals from a task force of the American Heart Association, the European Resuscitation Council, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and the Australian Resuscitation Council. Circulation. 1991; 84 (Also in Resuscitation 1991): 960-975 Crossref PubMed Scopus (1140) Google Scholar ]. Following this first landmark meeting in the Utstein Abbey, over the following years many additional ‘Utstein-style’ international consensus statements were published, including the uniform reporting of neonatal [ [2] Kattwinkel J. Niermeyer S. Nadkarni V. et al. Resuscitation of the newly born infant: an advisory statement from the pediatric working gkroup of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Resuscitation. 1999; 40 (Also in Circulation 1999;99:1927–38): 71-88 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (75) Google Scholar ] and paediatric advanced life support [ [3] Zaritsky A. Nadkarni V. Hazinski M.F. et al. Recommended guidelines for uniform reporting of pediatric advanced life support: The Pediatric Utstein Style. A Statement for Healthcare Professionals from a Task Force of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Heart Association, and the European Resuscitation Council. Resuscitation. 1995; 30 (Also in Circulation 1995;92:2006–20): 95-115 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (107) Google Scholar ], laboratory CPR research [ [4] Idris A.H. Becker L.B. Ornato J.P. et al. Utstein-style guidelines for uniform reporting of laboratory CPR research. A Statement for Healthcare Professionals from a Task Force of the American Heart Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the American College of Cardiology, the European Resuscitation Council, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Institute of Critical Care Medicine, the Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, and the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. Resuscitation. 1996; 33 (Also in Circulation 1996;94:2324–36): 69-84 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (152) Google Scholar ], in-hospital resuscitation [ [5] Cummins R.O. Chamberlain D. Hazinski M.F. et al. Recommended guidelines for reviewing, reporting, and conducting research on in-hospital resuscitation: the in-hospital ‘Utstein style’. A Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association, the European Resuscitation Council, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Australian Resuscitation Council, and the Resuscitation Councils of Southern Africa. Resuscitation. 1997; 34 (Also in Circulation 1997;95:2213–39): 151-183 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (202) Google Scholar ], and CPR registers [ [6] Jacobs I. Nadkarni V. Bahr J. et al. Cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation outcome reports: update and simplification of the Utstein templates for resuscitation registries. A statement for healthcare professionals from a task force of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (American Heart Association, European Resuscitation Council, Australian Resuscitation Council, New Zealand Resuscitation Council, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, InterAmerican Heart Foundation, Resuscitation Council of Southern Africa). Resuscitation. 2004; 63 (Also in Circulation 2004;110:3385–97): 233-249 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (630) Google Scholar ]. 1992: The Fifth National Conference on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Emergency Cardiac Care (ECC) was held in Dallas, Texas, USA in February 1992. Through the generosity of the AHA, over 25% of the delegates came from outside the USA, representing more than 25 countries and 53 international organisations. This offered an ideal opportunity to discuss international issues, building on the cooperation already achieved at the first Utstein meeting. The Conference addressed three international issues: (1) the desirability of international support for countries to develop effective ECC; (2) the creation of a permanent infrastructure for international cooperation; (3) the desirability of common international guidelines and an international conference on CPR and ECC. An International CPR and ECC Panel Discussion, co-chaired by Richard Cummins and Douglas Chamberlain included speakers from the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and Southern Africa. The report states:“The conference recommended that the existing major organizations with a responsibility for guidelines in CPR and ECC aim to synchronize their review of guidelines, with the objective of publishing updates in the same year. With such a schedule, the organizations could create international working groups with a worldwide membership of the principal experts in their fields. These groups could offer international reviews of the literature and, based on the shared science and experiences, could make suggestion for modifications in guidelines. The proposed modifications, supported by the science that generated them, would be offered as evidence to the major international organizations for their own meetings and deliberations: to the AHA, the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation, the European Resuscitation Council, the associations or societies in Latin America, Australia, Africa, and Asia, i.e. to all countries or multinational organizations that might wish to participate. The proposed modifications would be considered by these organizations. If the science was unassailable, the modifications would likely be adopted with or without change, taking into consideration local needs and realities.Such a plan for international cooperation would have appreciable advantages over existing arrangements: (1) the world's leading experts would achieve fruitful communication and cooperation; (2) advice for guidelines would be less likely to be tainted by habit, tradition, or peer pressure; (3) guidelines generated in this way should be widely accepted within existing organizations; (4) a great similarity (or even identity) of guidelines would likely be achieved without the fear that one group was being subverted by another; (5) the potential would exist for eventual universal guidelines; (6) existing organizations would not perceive a risk to their independence or autonomy.”Resuscitation ‘92’, held in Brighton, England in November 1992, was the first international conference held by the ERC. At the end of the conference, representatives from guidelines-producing organisations, i.e. the European Resuscitation Council, the American Heart Association, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Australian Resuscitation Council, and the Resuscitation Council of Southern Africa held the first meeting of the International Liaison Committee. Chaired by Douglas Chamberlain, the meeting proposed that there should be continuing international cooperation through a permanent liaison committee, comprising active, well-established organisations that were currently producing guidelines and were generally multinational or multidisciplinary in nature. 1993: Following the Update in Sudden Cardiac Death Congress in Vienna, Austria in March 1993, the newly formed “Liaison Committee on CPR” held its second meeting, at which a formal Mission Statement was adopted:“To provide a consensus mechanism by which the international science and knowledge relevant to emergency cardiac care can be identified and reviewed. This consensus mechanism will be used to provide consistent international guidelines on emergency cardiac care for Basic Life Support (BLS), Paediatric Life Support (PLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS). While the major focus will be upon treatment guidelines, the steering committee will also address the effectiveness of educational and training approaches and topics related to the organisation and implementation of emergency cardiac care. The Committee will also encourage coordination of dates for guidelines development and conferences by various national resuscitation councils. These international guidelines will aim for a commonality supported by science for BLS, ALS and PLS”. It was agreed that, wherever possible, meetings would be held in conjunction with international resuscitation events, being cost-effective, and allowing leaders in the field of resuscitation to meet and share information and expertise on a regular basis, with a wide multinational and multidisciplinary audience (Table 1). At the third meeting, co-chaired by Douglas Chamberlain and Richard Cummins, formal BLS, ALS and PLS Working Groups were established, tasked with reviewing scientific data in their respective area of expertise. Table 1Meetings of the international liaison committee on resuscitation # Associated International Event Date Host Venue 1 Resuscitation ‘92 Congress November 1992 ERC Brighton, UK 2 Sudden Cardiac Death Congress March 1993 ERC Vienna, Austria 3 AHA Scientific Sessions November 1993 AHA Dallas, USA 4 CPR & ECC Update‘94 Congress May 1994 AHA Richmond, USA 5 Resuscitation ‘94 Congress October 1994 ERC Mainz, Germany 6 In-Hospital Utstein Consensus June 1995 ERC Mosteroy, Norway 7 ASA Congress October 1995 AHA Atlanta, USA 8 CPR & ECC Update‘96 Congress May 1996 HSFC Montreal, Canada 9 AHA Scientific Sessions November 1996 AHA Dallas, USA 10 CPR ’97 Congress April 1997 ERC Brighton, UK 11 CPR & ECC Update 98 Congress May 1998 AHA Orlando, USA 12 AHA Meetings March 1999 AHA Dallas, USA 13 Resuscitation 2000 Congress June 2000 ERC Antwerp, Belgium 14 Education Utstein Consensus June 2001 ERC Mosteroy, Norway 15 Spark of Life 2002 Congress April 2002 ARC Melbourne, Australia 16 Resuscitation 2002 Congress October 2002 ERC Florence, Italy 17 AHA Meetings April 2003 AHA Dallas, USA 18 IAHF Meetings September 2003 IAHF Recife, Brazil 19 AHA Meetings March 2004 AHA Dallas, USA 20 Resuscitation 2004 Congress September 2004 ERC Budapest, Hungary 21 CoSTR Congress January 2005 AHA Dallas, USA 22 CoSTR Editorial Board April 2005 AHA Jersey City, USA Open table in a new tab 1994: When the ERC published its resuscitation guidelines, the Chairman, Peter Baskett, reported that “The ERC has not worked in isolation, and has enjoyed cordial and productive cooperation with the American Heart Association's Emergency Cardiac Care Committee, the Australian Resuscitation Council, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Resuscitation Council of Southern Africa and many Resuscitation Councils and authorities throughout Europe. Our aim in the future is to collaborate with our colleagues to produce guidelines, which will have worldwide acceptance. There is an active International Liaison Committee currently addressing this goal, so that we can enter the 21st century with unanimity.” 1995: A proposal by John Kattwinkel of the American Academy of Pediatrics to establish a Neonatal Subgroup of the Paediatric Working Group was considered. Consensus was reached on recommended guidelines for reviewing, reporting, and conducting research on in-hospital resuscitation [ [5] Cummins R.O. Chamberlain D. Hazinski M.F. et al. Recommended guidelines for reviewing, reporting, and conducting research on in-hospital resuscitation: the in-hospital ‘Utstein style’. A Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association, the European Resuscitation Council, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Australian Resuscitation Council, and the Resuscitation Councils of Southern Africa. Resuscitation. 1997; 34 (Also in Circulation 1997;95:2213–39): 151-183 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (202) Google Scholar ]. One representative made an observation that captured the prevailing spirit of cooperation: “In the seven meetings of the International Liaison Committee, the Committee has never needed to take a vote on any question.” 1996: At the suggestion of Walter Kloeck from South Africa, the name ‘International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR)’ was formally adopted in May 1996. This was a deliberate play on words relating to developing treatment guidelines for a sick heart – ‘ill cor’! It was determined that there was a significant need to develop ‘Advisory Statements’, and each Working Groups was tasked with producing updated consensus statements. 1997: In April 1997, the ‘Consejo Latino–Americano de Resucitación (CLAR)’, representing the countries of Latin America, became the Seventh official member organisation of ILCOR. ILCOR Advisory Statements on Single Rescuer Basic Life Support [ [7] Handley A.J. Becker L.B. Allen M. van Drenth A. Kramer E.B. Montgomery W.H. Single rescuer adult basic life support. An advisory statement from the Basic Life Support Working Group of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR). Circulation. 1997; 95 (Also in Resuscitation 1997;34:101–8): 2174-2179 Crossref PubMed Scopus (38) Google Scholar ], a Universal ALS Algorithm [ [8] Kloeck W. Cummins R. Chamberlain D. et al. The Universal ALS algorithm. An advisory statement by the Advanced Life Support Working Group of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Resuscitation. 1997; 34 (Also in Circulation 1997;95:2180–2): 109-111 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (56) Google Scholar ], Early Defibrillation [ [9] Kloeck W. Cummins R.O. Chamberlain D. et al. Early defibrillation. An advisory statement by the Advanced Life Support Working Group of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Circulation. 1997; 95 (Also in Resuscitation 1997;34:113–4): 2183-2184 Crossref PubMed Scopus (95) Google Scholar ], Paediatric Life Support [ [10] Nadkarni V. Hazinski M.F. Zideman D. et al. Paediatric Life Support. An advisory statement by the Paediatric Life Support Working Group of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Resuscitation. 1997; 34 (Also in Circulation 1997;95:2185–95): 115-127 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (56) Google Scholar ], and Special Resuscitation Situations [ [11] Kloeck W. Cummins R.O. Chamberlain D. et al. Special resuscitation situations: an advisory statement from the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Circulation. 1997; 95 (Also in Resuscitation 1997;34:129–49): 2196-3010 Crossref PubMed Scopus (64) Google Scholar ] were published worldwide. 1998: The New Zealand Resuscitation Council and the Australian Resuscitation Council joined to form a multinational resuscitation entity. Petter Steen of the ERC was appointed Co-chair of ILCOR, together with Richard Cummins, following the resignation of the Founding Co-Chairman, Douglas Chamberlain. A decision was made that guidelines development will try and move from the use of expert opinion and consensus discussions, to a much more explicit, evidence-based process, and the use of ‘levels of evidence’ and ‘classes of recommendation.’ 1999: Representatives from China, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan and Malaysia were welcomed to ILCOR meetings as observers. It was agreed that the administrative secretariat of ILCOR would be managed by the Australia and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation (ANZCOR). ILCOR published an Advisory Statement on Resuscitation of the Newly Born Infant [ [2] Kattwinkel J. Niermeyer S. Nadkarni V. et al. Resuscitation of the newly born infant: an advisory statement from the pediatric working gkroup of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Resuscitation. 1999; 40 (Also in Circulation 1999;99:1927–38): 71-88 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (75) Google Scholar ], and an Evidence Evaluation Conference, preceding the ‘Guidelines 2000 Conference’ was held in Dallas in September 1999. 2000: The Guidelines 2000 Conference, held in Dallas in February 2000 was the world's first international conference assembled specifically to produce international resuscitation guidelines [ [12] Guidelines 2000 for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care - an international consensus on science. The American Heart Association in collaboration with the International Liaison Committee on resuscitation (ILCOR). Circulation 2000;102:1–384. Also in Resuscitation 2000;46:1–446. Google Scholar ]. Bill Montgomery of the AHA was elected Co-chair of ILCOR, together with Petter Steen of the ERC. 2001: The first ILCOR symposium on Education in Resuscitation was held at Utstein Abbey in June 2001 [ [13] Chamberlain D.A. Hazinski M.F. on behalf of the European Resuscitation Council, The American Heart Association, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Australia and New Zealand Resuscitation Council, the Resuscitation Council of Southern Africa, The Consejo Latino-Americano de ResuscitacionILCOR Advisory Statements. Education in Resuscitation. Resuscitation. 2003; 59 (Also in Circulation 2003;108:2575–94): 11-43 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (152) Google Scholar ], with the support of the Laerdal Foundation. A formal Constitution for ILCOR was drawn up at this meeting. 2002: ILCOR hosted a meeting in Melbourne, Australia to update and simplify the Utstein templates for reporting cardiac arrests in and out of hospital, and to develop recommendations for resuscitation registries. Jerry Nolan of the ERC was elected Co-chair of ILCOR, together with Bill Montgomery of the AHA. It was agreed that ILCOR would be an advisory group for the Cochrane Heart Group, and Ian Jacobs was appointed as the official coordinator. A Neonatal Task Force, as well as an Interdisciplinary Task Force, looking at issues such as epidemiology, education and ethics in resuscitation, was established. 2003: ILCOR published Advisory Statements on Uniform Reporting of Data from Drowning [ [14] Idris A.H. Berg R.A. Bierens J. et al. Recommended Guidelines for Uniform Reporting of Data From Drowning. The “Utstein Style”. Circulation. 2003; 108 (Also in Resuscitation 2003;59:45–57): 2565-2574 Crossref PubMed Scopus (167) Google Scholar ], Therapeutic Hypothermia after Cardiac Arrest [ [15] Nolan J.P. Morley P.T. Vanden Hoek T.L. et al. Therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest. An advisory statement by the Advanced Life Support Task Force of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation.. Resuscitation. 2003; 57 (Also in Circulation 2003;108:118–21): 231-235 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (443) Google Scholar ], and the use of AEDs for children [ [16] Samson R.A. Berg R.A. Bingham R. et al. Use of automated external defibrillators for children: an update. An advisory statement from the Pediatric Advanced Life Support Task Force, International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Circulation. 2003; 107 (Also in Resuscitation 2003;57237–243): 3250-3255 Crossref PubMed Scopus (80) Google Scholar ]. The Inter-American Heart Foundation (IAHF) replaced CLAR as the official member organisation representing Central and South American countries. Intense planning for the 2005 Consensus on Resuscitation Science started at an ILCOR meeting in Brazil. 2004: An update of the Utstein-style templates for resuscitation research, that were first created by representatives of international Resuscitation Councils in 1990, was published under the aegis of ILCOR [ [6] Jacobs I. Nadkarni V. Bahr J. et al. Cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation outcome reports: update and simplification of the Utstein templates for resuscitation registries. A statement for healthcare professionals from a task force of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (American Heart Association, European Resuscitation Council, Australian Resuscitation Council, New Zealand Resuscitation Council, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, InterAmerican Heart Foundation, Resuscitation Council of Southern Africa). Resuscitation. 2004; 63 (Also in Circulation 2004;110:3385–97): 233-249 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (630) Google Scholar ]. An official ILCOR logo was approved and adopted, and plans are made for ILCOR to be formally incorporated as a Non-Profit Association. Preparations continue at meetings in Dallas and Budapest for the publication in 2005 of the updated consensus on the science of resuscitation, using dedicated systematic evidence evaluation tools. 2005: The 2005 International Consensus on ECC and CPR Science with Treatment Recommendations (CoSTR) Conference, hosted by the AHA, represents the most intense review of resuscitation science ever held, and involved the greatest degree of international cooperation that ILCOR has ever experienced. As can be seen from the 22 official meetings that ILCOR has held from 1992 to 2005, the associated international events linked to each meeting (Table 1), and the accompanying landmark co-publications [ 1 Cummins R.O. Chamberlain D.A. Abramson N.S. et al. Recommended guidelines for uniform reporting of data from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: the utstein style. a statement for health professionals from a task force of the American Heart Association, the European Resuscitation Council, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and the Australian Resuscitation Council. Circulation. 1991; 84 (Also in Resuscitation 1991): 960-975 Crossref PubMed Scopus (1140) Google Scholar , 2 Kattwinkel J. Niermeyer S. Nadkarni V. et al. Resuscitation of the newly born infant: an advisory statement from the pediatric working gkroup of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Resuscitation. 1999; 40 (Also in Circulation 1999;99:1927–38): 71-88 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (75) Google Scholar , 3 Zaritsky A. Nadkarni V. Hazinski M.F. et al. Recommended guidelines for uniform reporting of pediatric advanced life support: The Pediatric Utstein Style. A Statement for Healthcare Professionals from a Task Force of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Heart Association, and the European Resuscitation Council. Resuscitation. 1995; 30 (Also in Circulation 1995;92:2006–20): 95-115 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (107) Google Scholar , 4 Idris A.H. Becker L.B. Ornato J.P. et al. Utstein-style guidelines for uniform reporting of laboratory CPR research. A Statement for Healthcare Professionals from a Task Force of the American Heart Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the American College of Cardiology, the European Resuscitation Council, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Institute of Critical Care Medicine, the Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, and the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. Resuscitation. 1996; 33 (Also in Circulation 1996;94:2324–36): 69-84 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (152) Google Scholar , 5 Cummins R.O. Chamberlain D. Hazinski M.F. et al. Recommended guidelines for reviewing, reporting, and conducting research on in-hospital resuscitation: the in-hospital ‘Utstein style’. A Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association, the European Resuscitation Council, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Australian Resuscitation Council, and the Resuscitation Councils of Southern Africa. Resuscitation. 1997; 34 (Also in Circulation 1997;95:2213–39): 151-183 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (202) Google Scholar , 6 Jacobs I. Nadkarni V. Bahr J. et al. Cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation outcome reports: update and simplification of the Utstein templates for resuscitation registries. A statement for healthcare professionals from a task force of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (American Heart Association, European Resuscitation Council, Australian Resuscitation Council, New Zealand Resuscitation Council, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, InterAmerican Heart Foundation, Resuscitation Council of Southern Africa). Resuscitation. 2004; 63 (Also in Circulation 2004;110:3385–97): 233-249 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (630) Google Scholar , 7 Handley A.J. Becker L.B. Allen M. van Drenth A. Kramer E.B. Montgomery W.H. Single rescuer adult basic life support. An advisory statement from the Basic Life Support Working Group of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR). Circulation. 1997; 95 (Also in Resuscitation 1997;34:101–8): 2174-2179 Crossref PubMed Scopus (38) Google Scholar , 8 Kloeck W. Cummins R. Chamberlain D. et al. The Universal ALS algorithm. An advisory statement by the Advanced Life Support Working Group of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Resuscitation. 1997; 34 (Also in Circulation 1997;95:2180–2): 109-111 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (56) Google Scholar , 9 Kloeck W. Cummins R.O. Chamberlain D. et al. Early defibrillation. An advisory statement by the Advanced Life Support Working Group of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Circulation. 1997; 95 (Also in Resuscitation 1997;34:113–4): 2183-2184 Crossref PubMed Scopus (95) Google Scholar , 10 Nadkarni V. Hazinski M.F. Zideman D. et al. Paediatric Life Support. An advisory statement by the Paediatric Life Support Working Group of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Resuscitation. 1997; 34 (Also in Circulation 1997;95:2185–95): 115-127 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (56) Google Scholar , 11 Kloeck W. Cummins R.O. Chamberlain D. et al. Special resuscitation situations: an advisory statement from the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Circulation. 1997; 95 (Also in Resuscitation 1997;34:129–49): 2196-3010 Crossref PubMed Scopus (64) Google Scholar , 12 Guidelines 2000 for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care - an international consensus on science. The American Heart Association in collaboration with the International Liaison Committee on resuscitation (ILCOR). Circulation 2000;102:1–384. Also in Resuscitation 2000;46:1–446. Google Scholar , 13 Chamberlain D.A. Hazinski M.F. on behalf of the European Resuscitation Council, The American Heart Association, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Australia and New Zealand Resuscitation Council, the Resuscitation Council of Southern Africa, The Consejo Latino-Americano de ResuscitacionILCOR Advisory Statements. Education in Resuscitation. Resuscitation. 2003; 59 (Also in Circulation 2003;108:2575–94): 11-43 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (152) Google Scholar , 14 Idris A.H. Berg R.A. Bierens J. et al. Recommended Guidelines for Uniform Reporting of Data From Drowning. The “Utstein Style”. Circulation. 2003; 108 (Also in Resuscitation 2003;59:45–57): 2565-2574 Crossref PubMed Scopus (167) Google Scholar , 15 Nolan J.P. Morley P.T. Vanden Hoek T.L. et al. Therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest. An advisory statement by the Advanced Life Support Task Force of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation.. Resuscitation. 2003; 57 (Also in Circulation 2003;108:118–21): 231-235 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (443) Google Scholar , 16 Samson R.A. Berg R.A. Bingham R. et al. Use of automated external defibrillators for children: an update. An advisory statement from the Pediatric Advanced Life Support Task Force, International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Circulation. 2003; 107 (Also in Resuscitation 2003;57237–243): 3250-3255 Crossref PubMed Scopus (80) Google Scholar ], a spirit of sincere cooperation and genuine desire to raise the standard of practice of emergency care will result in many additional lives being saved. The Founding Members of ILCOR salute all those that have contributed to this process.