Impact of COVID-19 on ERC Guidelines

The ERC Board has taken the decision on Friday, 27th of March, to postpone publication of the ERC Guidelines until 2021. This decision has been taken mainly because most of our colleagues who are currently participating in the ERC Guideline process are heavily involved in managing the COVID-19 crisis, many being on the front lines with a vital role in the clinical care of their patients.

These are challenging times for all of us and we are conscious that many of you have asked the ERC for guidance on resuscitation training and practice during this COVID-19 pandemic. Several National Resuscitation Councils have already produced guidance and, in some cases, published this online.

A rapid review has just been completed by ILCOR so that the science on the risk of transmission of viral infection during CPR can be evaluated. The ERC will take the ILCOR recommendations and combine these with the results of the NRC survey to produce guidance on CPR for both in- and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Professor Jerry Nolan
Chairman

European Resuscitation Council