Cardiopulmonary resuscitation

During core medical training, trainees should acquire sufficient knowledge and skills, and demonstrate appropriate attitudes and behaviours to allow the competent assessment and resuscitation of patients who have suffered cardio-respiratory arrest within or outside hospital. These attributes have been defined by the Resuscitation Council UK, which intends to publish new resuscitation guidelines in 2010. These revised guidelines will take account of new concepts regarding cardiac arrest and new evidence from clinical trials of cardiac arrest management. It is likely that emphasis will be placed on the early provision of effective continuous chest compressions and the relegation of ‘rescue breathing’ from initial management. Therapeutic cooling after initial recovery of circulation is also likely to be promoted as a way of maximizing the full functional recovery of survivors.