Resuscitation guidelines are revised and updated about
every 5 years and this happens because resuscitation science
continues to advance and clinical guidelines must be updated
regularly to reflect these developments and advise healthcare
providers on best practice.
To date, the 2000 resuscitation guidelines are followed in
Malta and other countries worldwide. These guidelines have
been now revised by the International Liaison Committee on
Resuscitation (ILCOR) and a consensus has been reached
resulting in the publication of the 2005 guidelines. The ILCOR
was formed in 1993 and its mission is to identify and review
international science and knowledge relevant to CPR, and to
offer consensus on treatment recommendations. A total of 281
experts completed 403 worksheets on 276 topics. Three hundred
and eighty specialists from 18 countries attended the 2005
International Consensus Conference on Cardiopulmonary
Resuscitation (CPR) Science, which took place in Dallas in
January 2005. Science statements and treatment
recommendations were agreed by the conference participants
and the results are now the new 2005 Resuscitation Guidelines.
These ILCOR guidelines will be published internationally on
the 28 th November 2005 for the first time. The Malta
Resuscitation Council (MRC) participated in meetings of the
European Resuscitation Council (ERC) where the dissemination
of these new guidelines was discussed. This article will try to
summarize the major changes incorporated in the new
guidelines.peer-reviewe
