[Current international recommendations for pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation: the European guidelines].

OBJECTIVES: This summary of the European guidelines for pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) emphasizes the main changes and encourages health care professionals to keep their pediatric CPR knowledge and skills up to date. Basic and advanced pediatric CPR follow the same algorithm in the 2015 guidelines. The main changes affect the prevention of cardiac arrest and the use of fluids. Fluid expansion should not be used routinely in children with fever in the abuse of signs of shock because too high a volume can worsen prognosis. Rescue breaths should last around 1 second in basic CPR, making pediatric recommendations consistent with those for adults. Chest compressions should be at least as deep as one-third the anteroposterior diameter of the thorax. Most children in cardiac arrest lack a shockable rhythm, and in such cases a coordinated sequence of breaths, chest compressions, and administration of adrenalin is essential. An intraosseous canula may be the first choice for introducing fluids and medications, especially in young infants. In treating supraventricular tachycardia with cardioversion, an initial dose of 1 J/kg is currently recommended (vs the dose of 0.5 J/kg previously recommended). After spontaneous circulation is recovered, measures to control fever should be taken. The goal is to reach a normal temperature even before arrival to the hospital.