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Optimizing the links in the Chain of Survival improves outcomes and saves lives. The use of evidence-based education and implementation strategies will allow organizations and communities to strengthen these links in the most effective and efficient manner.

Background: Data suggest that the overall quality of inhospital resuscitation is suboptimal and contributes to poor patient outcomes. In 2000 the American Heart Association created the National Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (NRCPR) as an evidence-based hospital safety program. Participating hospitals voluntarily join the registry and pay an annual fee that includes data support and report generation. The primary purpose of NRCPR is to support local facility efforts in practice management and performance improvement (PI)., Chain of Survival: The Chain of Survival illustrates the series of critical, interdependent actions necessary to maximize patient outcome from sudden cardiac arrest--early access to the emergency response system, early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), early defibrillation, and early advanced cardiovascular care. NRCPR specifically addresses each link and helps hospitals develop, implement, and monitor their resuscitation processes in a manner that builds on available evidence., Participation in Nrcpr: On enrollment into NRCPR, each hospital identifies an onsite coordinator who is instructed on a standardized method for abstracting data from patient charts and how to enter data into the NRCPR database. The NRCPR database is managed centrally and provides participating organizations with ongoing, quarterly, and annual reports related to their resuscitation events., Discussion: NRCPR is used as both a local PI tool as well as a source of data that scientists are analyzing to further the understanding of inhospital resuscitation processes and outcomes. Over time, researchers have recognized the need to refine the Chain of Survival to reflect the unique aspects of inhospital resuscitation. A rapid response system provides a new link at the beginning, and postresuscitation care provides a new link at the end of the Chain of Survival.

The article discusses updates for healthcare providers facing difficulty in decision making for emergency cardiovascular care, as stated in the U.S. nonprofit organization American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care. An overview on the ethical principles surrounding autonomy and decision making for patient care, is provided. Also investigated is the advancement in resuscitation efforts and their ethical implications.

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation has initiated a near-continuous review of cardiopulmonary resuscitation science that replaces the previous 5-year cyclic batch-and-queue approach process. This is the first of an annual series of International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations summary articles that will include the cardiopulmonary resuscitation science reviewed by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation in the previous year. The review this year includes 5 basic life support and 1 paediatric Consensuses on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations. Each of these includes a summary of the science and its quality based on Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria and treatment recommendations. Insights into the deliberations of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation task force members are provided in Values and Preferences sections. Finally, the task force members have prioritised and listed the top 3 knowledge gaps for each population, intervention, comparator, and outcome question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care" increased the focus on methods to ensure that high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is performed in all resuscitation attempts. There are 5 critical components of high-quality CPR: minimize interruptions in chest compressions, provide compressions of adequate rate and depth, avoid leaning between compressions, and avoid excessive ventilation. Although it is clear that high-quality CPR is the primary component in influencing survival from cardiac arrest, there is considerable variation in monitoring, implementation, and quality improvement. As such, CPR quality varies widely between systems and locations. Victims often do not receive high-quality CPR because of provider ambiguity in prioritization of resuscitative efforts during an arrest. This ambiguity also impedes the development of optimal systems of care to increase survival from cardiac arrest. This consensus statement addresses the following key areas of CPR quality for the trained rescuer: metrics of CPR performance; monitoring, feedback, and integration of the patient's response to CPR; team-level logistics to ensure performance of high-quality CPR; and continuous quality improvement on provider, team, and systems levels. Clear definitions of metrics and methods to consistently deliver and improve the quality of CPR will narrow the gap between resuscitation science and the victims, both in and out of the hospital, and lay the foundation for further improvements in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the revised recommendations contained in the 2015 Guidelines Update for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care from U.S. nonprofit organization American Heart Association (AHA). An overview on the detailed review of the scientific evidence and evaluation process in evaluation of daily patient care, is offered. Several charts are also presented that lists disclosures for guidelines update.