Revised Guidelines: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care

Background and Purpose: This update of the 2005 guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and emergency cardiovascular care, widely used by healthcare providers at all levels, reflects a seismic shift in the philosophy of resuscitation. Gone is the traditional A-B-C (airway, breathing, circulation) sequence, which dates from the development of CPR in sedated surgical patients in the late 1950s. The increasing recognition that witnessed arrests are primarily cardiac in origin has engendered a new emphasis on chest compressions.

Key Points:

1. The major change in CPR is the order of recommended maneuvers, from A-B-C to C-A-B: Chest compressions are now to be administered before airway …