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Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Pre-clinical Model of Cardiac Donation after Circulatory Death
Published on: August 2, 2019
European Resuscitation Council COVID-19 guidelines executive summary
J P Nolan1, K G Monsieurs2, L Bossaert3
1Resuscitation Medicine, University of Warwick, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK; Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Royal United Hospital, Bath, BA1 3NG UK.
Insights
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) guidelines for suspected or confirmed COVID-19 balance rescuer safety and patient survival. Dynamic risk assessment informs treatment decisions amid evolving pandemic knowledge and varying international practices.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) significantly impacts cardiac arrest incidence and survival rates.
- A critical challenge involves balancing rescuer safety during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) against the risk of delayed treatment for patients with potential COVID-19.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide specific guidelines for basic and advanced life support for adults and children with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
- To offer recommendations for CPR training delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Main Methods:
- Guidelines focus on patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
- Recommendations incorporate dynamic risk assessment considering COVID-19 prevalence, patient presentation, treatment efficacy, and personal protective equipment (PPE) availability.
- Guidelines address both basic and advanced life support for adults and children.
Main Results:
- The guidelines aim to mitigate risks to both rescuers and patients during CPR in the context of COVID-19.
- Dynamic risk assessment is crucial when uncertainty exists, considering factors like COVID-19 symptoms and PPE availability.
- Recommendations are subject to evolving knowledge and may vary internationally based on pandemic stage.
Conclusions:
- These guidelines provide a framework for managing cardiac arrest in patients with COVID-19, prioritizing a balance between safety and timely intervention.
- Continuous adaptation to new information and local context is essential for effective implementation.
- The guidelines support the delivery of life support and training during the pandemic.
Abstract:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a substantial impact on the incidence of cardiac arrest and survival. The challenge is to find the correct balance between the risk to the rescuer when undertaking cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a person with possible COVID-19 and the risk to that person if CPR is delayed. These guidelines focus specifically on patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. The guidelines include the delivery of basic and advanced life support in adults and children and recommendations for delivering training during the pandemic. Where uncertainty exists treatment should be informed by a dynamic risk assessment which may consider current COVID-19 prevalence, the person's presentation (e.g. history of COVID-19 contact, COVID-19 symptoms), likelihood that treatment will be effective, availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and personal risks for those providing treatment. These guidelines will be subject to evolving knowledge and experience of COVID-19. As countries are at different stages of the pandemic, there may some international variation in practice.
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