Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Guidelines 2000 update: what's happened since?
OBJECTIVE
To examine the literature for new resuscitation science since the publication of the Guidelines 2000 for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiac Care.


RESULTS
The two and a half years since the publication of the Guidelines 2000 have seen the advent of a number of new and important resuscitation studies. Such studies highlight the importance of simplification of cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques and guidelines, including the elimination of the layperson pulse check and the need for a simple form of basic life support cardiopulmonary resuscitation that decreases interruptions of chest compressions. Automatic external defibrillators, even in the hands of nontraditional first responders, are effective and safe. A second prospective, randomized clinical trial of amiodarone for refractory ventricular fibrillation has again shown positive results in improving survival to hospital admission. Finally, mild hypothermia appears to be the first effective therapy at decreasing central nervous system injury when administered after resuscitation.


CONCLUSIONS
In this report, we review these new studies and discuss how they corroborate or alter the published 2000 guidelines.
Xavier
Lyndon C
LC
Department of Medicine, Sarver Heart Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724, USA.
Kern
Karl B
KB
D000638:Amiodarone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends*; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000295:instrumentation; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced / Q000379:methods; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods; D011674:Pulse / Q000592:standards; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy
D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D008012:Lidocaine; D000638:Amiodarone