Latest Resuscitation Council Guidelines 2015

What do you need to know about the Resuscitation Guideline 2015 update?

The Resuscitation Council (UK) published new guidelines online on 15 October 2015 following the review of resuscitation science by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR).

Jon Andersen shares what the changes are in basic life support and defibrillation with this update.

 The changes in basic life support and defibrillation since Guidelines 2010:

• The “shout for help” is no longer included (because most people will – probably - automatically shout for help when confronted with a collapsed person).
• Potential rescuers are advised to be suspicious that a collapsed person having a seizure may be in cardiac arrest. It is important to be aware of “agonal breathing”.
• Check for normal breathing immediately after opening the opening airway of an adult (do not delay assessment by checking for obstructions in the airway).
• Rescuers should aim for a “chest compression depth of approximately 5 cm but not more than 6 cm in the average sized adult”.

 There is also a repeated emphasis on:

• Early defibrillation (within three minutes) giving the collapsed person the best chance of survival to hospital discharge.
• Not interrupting chest compressions by more than ten seconds to deliver two effective rescue breaths.
• Ensuring complete chest recoil after each compression.
• Minimising interruptions to CPR – even when placing defibrillator pads.
• Immediate bystander CPR quadrupling survival rates (yet only 40% of victims in the UK receive bystander CPR).
• Informing the local ambulance service that you have an AED.
• Training being provided “at least annually” for healthcare professionals.

Posted by Gemma