2010 CPR Guidelines

To:                  EMS System Stakeholders

From:              Eric M. Rudnick, MD, FACEP
                       EMS Medical Director

Subject:          New AHA Guidelines for CPR

On October 18, 2010 the American Heart Association (AHA) published its 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care, published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.


In this publication AHA recommends to change the sequence of CPR to chest compression prior to initiating airway management and breathing for the adult, child and infant (newborns are excluded) for the lay and professional rescuer.

We are in the process of reviewing the new guidelines published by the AHA. When the review of the recommended guidelines are completed the decision will be made as to when or if to change the current county policies.
One of the reasons for not changing any of the existing protocols is that the new two rescuer CPR does not change the sequence of what comes first. Chest compression and breathing should be initiated simultaneously and in a team based approach. The quality of good CPR however is imperative in these situations and all efforts should be employed to provide effective chest compression, as evidenced by monitoring EKG, at a depth appropriate for the age of the patient and that successful airway management is performed using appropriate assistive devices as necessary, as evidenced by utilizing continuous capnograph and oxygenation saturation.

There are no recommended changes to the current ACLS and PALS curriculum.

You may review the entire article at the AHA website at http://www.newsroom.heart.org/

This memo may be downloaded at http://www.sccemsagency.org/