Resuscitation guideline highlights

Purpose of review The purpose of this review was to give an overview of the most significant updates in resuscitation guidelines and provide some insights into the new topics being considered in upcoming reviews. Recent findings Recent updates to resuscitation guidelines have highlighted the importance of the earlier links in the chain-of-survival aimed to improve early recognition, early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation. Empowering lay rescuers with the support of emergency medical dispatchers or telecommunicators and engaging the community through dispatching volunteers and Automated External Defibrillators, are considered key in improving cardiac arrest outcomes. Novel CPR strategies such as passive insufflation and head-up CPR are being explored, but lack high-certainty evidence. Increased focus on survivorship also highlights the need for more evidence based guidance on how to facilitate the necessary follow-up and rehabilitation after cardiac arrest. Many of the systematic and scoping reviews performed within cardiac arrest resuscitation domains identifies significant knowledge gaps on key elements of our resuscitation practices. There is an urgent need to address these gaps to further improve survival from cardiac arrest in all settings. A continuous evidence evaluation process for resuscitation after cardiac arrest is triggered by new evidence or request by the resuscitation community, and provides more current and relevant guidance for clinicians.