AMSTERDAM, October 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

2015 European Resuscitation Council (ERC) Guidelines now available free to download  

Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced the publication of the 2015 European Resuscitation Council (ERC) Guidelines, in the latest issue of journal Resuscitation. These guidelines are based on an extensive international review of all the science supporting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The 2015 International Consensus on CPR Science, is also published in Resuscitation today. This year also marks the 55^th anniversary since CPR was first developed.

The updated ERC Guidelines include detailed advice for healthcare professionals on how to treat cardiac arrest and how to continue to treat the patient after the heart has been restarted. The ERC Guidelines 2015 include detailed instructions to members of the public who may be in a position to save a life by providing bystander CPR to a victim of cardiac arrest. The 2015 International Consensus on CPR Science is a valuable resource for CPR researchers as well as clinicians.

Professor Jerry Nolan, Editor-in-Chief of Resuscitation, said, "These guidelines are derived from a comprehensive review of CPR science that was undertaken by experts from around the world. They provide recommendations on best practice for resuscitation across the whole patient pathway."

The last ERC Guidelines were published in 2010; in the 2015 Guidelines, changes have been made only if supported by scientific evidence or if the change would simplify the resuscitation process.

According to the 2015 ERC Guidelines, if more people in Europe were trained to provide CPR it could be possible to save an additional 100.000 lives. Therefore it is of major importance that health media in the European countries make both lay people and healthcare professionals aware of the new 2015 ERC Guidelines.

Issue details: Resuscitation, Vol 95 (October 2015) published by Elsevier

Download the 2015 ERC guidelines and the International Consensus on CPR Science for free:

http://www.resuscitationjournal.com/current

Background 

Throughout Europe, each year, about 500,000 people have an out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest. Currently, less than 10% of these survive to leave hospital. If a bystander provides CPR, the chance of a cardiac arrest victim surviving is increased by about 2-3 times. Currently, in Europe CPR is given by a bystander in only about 25-30% of cardiac arrests. Standard CPR includes compressing the chest and giving mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing.

The ERC Guidelines 2015 emphasize that if a bystander sees someone collapse suddenly, and if they are unresponsive and not breathing normally, they should first alert the emergency services and then start chest compressions by pushing down at least 5 cm in the middle of the chest at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute. If the bystander is trained in standard CPR, and they are confident and willing to provide rescue breathing, after giving 30 chest compressions they should give two rescue breaths followed by another 30 chest compressions. CPR is continued with this compression to breathing ratio of 30:2. The bystander who is untrained in CPR should at least give chest compressions continuously ('press hard and fast') until the ambulance arrives: 'any CPR is better than no CPR'. The ambulance dispatcher plays an important role in the early diagnosis of cardiac arrest and the provision of dispatcher-assisted CPR (also known as telephone CPR). The ERC Guidelines indicate that if an ambulance dispatcher gives telephone advice to a bystander on how to do CPR, they should be told to do compression-only CPR.

In many cases of cardiac arrest, the heart can be restarted with an electric shock (defibrillation). Defibrillation within 3-5 minutes of collapse can produce survival rates as high as 50-70%. Early defibrillation can be achieved by bystanders using public access automated external defibrillators (AEDs). The ERC Guidelines 2015 highlight the critical importance of the interactions between the ambulance dispatcher, the bystander who provides CPR and the timely deployment of an AED. An effective, coordinated community response that draws these elements together is key to improving survival from cardiac arrest.

The ERC Guidelines 2015 also provide updated guidance to healthcare professionals on how to optimise the treatment of a person whose heart has been restarted after cardiac arrest. In many cases this includes early access to a 'cardiac arrest centre' to enable treatment of blocked coronary arteries and ongoing support of vital organs and close control of body temperature in an intensive care unit (ICU). There is emphasis on the frequent need for longer treatment periods in the ICU.

Issue details: Resuscitation, Vol 95 (October 2015) published by Elsevier

Download the 2015 ERC guidelines and the International Consensus on CPR Science for free:

http://www.resuscitationjournal.com/current

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About the European Resuscitation Council 

The European Resuscitation Council (ERC) is a multidisciplinary advisory medical body for coordinating the activities of European organisations with a legitimate interest in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and for improving the standards of resuscitation throughout Europe. Become a member of the ERC and receive the journal Resuscitation as part of the ERC membership, including online access to the journal. http://www.erc.edu

About Resuscitation 

Resuscitation is a monthly international and interdisciplinary medical journal and is the only journal in the area of cardiopulmonary resuscitation that is general in nature and not specific to a single body system. The papers published deal with the etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of cardiorespiratory arrest. Papers on clinical research and systematic reviews on cardiopulmonary resuscitation are encouraged. http://www.resuscitationjournal.com

About Elsevier 

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of information solutions that enhance the performance of science, health, and technology professionals, empowering them to make better decisions, deliver better care, and sometimes make groundbreaking discoveries that advance the boundaries of knowledge and human progress. Elsevier provides web-based, digital solutions - among them ScienceDirect, Scopus, Elsevier Research Intelligence, and ClinicalKey - and publishes over 2,500 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and more than 33,000 book titles, including a number of iconic reference works. Elsevier is part of RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries. http://www.elsevier.com

Media contact
Aisling Murphy
Elsevier
+31-20-485-2664
a.murphy@elsevier.com
newsroom@elsevier.com

SOURCE Elsevier