2010 AHA CPR guidelines

2010 AHA CPR guidelines

(AHA CPR guidelines will be revised every 5 years. Please check the current guidelines at AHA website)

2010 AHA CPR guidelines: American Heart Association has just published the 2010 Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) guidelines on their website along with video on their Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/americanheartassoc. Incidentally this year marks the 50th anniversary of the first documentation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation with chest compressions by Kouwenhoven, Knickerbocker, and Jude who documented the survival of 14 patients with cardiac arrest [1]. First publication of defibrillation with monophasic direct current was in 1962 by Lown and associates [2]. The first set of CPR guidelines was published in 1966 [3].

The main difference between the 2005 AHA guidelines for CPR and 2010 guidelines is the change in the sequence of CPR from ABC to CAB, which is meant to simply the process for lay rescuers. The ABC sequence was airway, breathing and circulation, in which attention to airway was first followed by rescue breaths and chest compressions for restarting circulation. In the CAB sequence, chest compression have been given priority over the other two because in most cases of cardiac arrest in the adult, restarting circulation is of paramount importance. Moreover, it removes the hesitation of bystanders who may not be happy to give mouth to mouth respiration for an unknown person who has just collapsed in front of them. The current CAB sequence makes airway and breathing optional for lay rescuers, who may continue chest compressions till help arrives.

References

  1. Kouwenhoven WB, Jude JR, Knickerbocker GG. Closed-chest cardiac massage. JAMA. 1960;173:1064–1067.
  2. Lown B, Neuman J, Amarasingham R, Berkovits BV. Comparison of alternating current with direct electroshock across the closed chest. Am J Cardiol. 1962;10:223–233.
  3. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation: statement by the Ad Hoc Committee on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, of the Division of Medical Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council. JAMA. 1966;198:372–379.