Emergency cardiac care: an update

The authors review the new guidelines for basic life support and advanced cardiac life support and the recommended changes to the standards. The changes recommended for basic life support will simplify the psychomotor skills required. The recommended changes to the guidelines for advanced cardiac life support, which include discontinuing the use of isoproterenol and limiting the use of sodium bicarbonate in cardiac arrest, are likely to improve survival rates. Controversies in the management of cardiac arrest are also discussed.