The development of AHA guidelines for emergency cardiac care

In summary, the value of the ECC training programs is improving the outcome for patients in cardiac arrest. It is believed that, by giving clinicians overall guidelines to use for this emergency situation, better decisions will be made. The Guidelines are in a dynamic state of re- evaluation, and the development process for guidelines is imperfect. However, every effort has been made to look at all sides of any controversy and make decisions based on scientific evidence. In addition, recommendations are now based on the relative strength of the scientific data. The process will continue even in the absence of National Consensus meetings. Finally, the importance of transmitting the Guidelines to participants in an educationally sound program has received a great deal of emphasis. The ACLS course is now interactive and based on clinical scenarios. The emphasis is on improving the knowledge and skills of the participants who take the course rather than on certification or evaluation. The effect of these changes will be evaluated over the next several years.