AHA/ERC Resuscitation Guidelines

On October 18, 2010, the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) and the American Heart Association (AHA) with the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) put forth new guidelines to assist in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

These guidelines are based on a transparent, expert review of scientific evidence, informed by the clinical expertise of the writing teams and designed to provide rescuers and clinicians with a strategy for action that can save lives from cardiac arrest.

Click here for the full list of CPR guidelines.

The Value of Waveform Capnography

The 2010 Guidelines are powerful in regards to waveform capnography. Included in both the AHA and ERC guidelines is specific language regarding capnography:

"Continuous quantitative waveform capnography is now recommended for intubated patients throughout the periarrest period. When quantitative waveform capnography is used for adults, applications now include recommendations for confirming tracheal tube placement and for monitoring CPR quality and detecting ROSC based on end-tidal carbon dioxide (PETCO2) values."

Capnography Recommendations

• Class I recommendation for adults in terms of airway management for the continuous quantitative waveform capnography for confirmation and monitoring of ET placement.
• Class I recommendation as confirmation of tracheal tube position for neonates, infants, and children with perfusing rhythm in all settings.
• Class IIb recommendation to consider using quantitative waveform capnography in intubated patients to monitor CPR quality, optimize chest compressions, and detect ROSC.

Now, all healthcare facilities and providers that resuscitate patients following AHA guidelines will be using these very recommendations, which expressly validate the value and significance of waveform capnography in saving lives.

Measuring Life and Breath: The Benefits of Capnography in EMS