The American Heart Association and an international committee on resuscitation updated their guidelines in 2010. They emphasized the importance of high-quality CPR and the need for continuous chest compressions without the use of excessive ventilation. For every age group, the interventions were changed to include chest compressions, breathing, and airway. An exception was made for people who are experiencing respiratory arrest, drug overdose, or obstruction. These conditions should be considered when performing CPR.
Although it’s generally believed that doing CPR before defibrillation can improve a patient’s chances of survival, it’s not clear if this method can also lead to different outcomes.