New strategies for cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Sudden death claims hundreds of thousands of lives each year in the United States. Emergency resuscitation efforts are successful in only about 6% of all out-of-hospital arrests. In light of the poor survival rate, innovative research is reexamining the practice of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Basic life support (BLS), with its stepwise management of airway, breathing, circulation, and defibrillation, is far from a rudimentary procedure. Each step has been challenged and changed in recent years, reflecting ongoing resuscitation research into the mechanisms, efficacy, and practical aspects of delivery of these interventions. Recommended modifications to BLS techniques have resulted in increased survival rates. Therefore, health professionals need to stay current with the latest guidelines through literature reviews and frequent recertification.