These guidelines, an update of the earlier version of the CPR Guidelines published in 2000, will present the currently prevailing knowledge and procedures for resuscitation medicine. The guidelines will be a primary source of information and reference for all those who are involved in resuscitation practice, training and education.

The new guidelines are based on the Consensus on Science arrived at by the 2005 CoSTR Conference, (http://www.c2005.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3022536), which was held in Dallas, USA in January 2005.

This Conference was the culmination of a series of meetings during which international experts in the fields of Basic Life Support, Advanced Life Support, Paediatric Life Support, Neonatal Life Support, Acute Coronary Syndromes, Stroke Medicine, Ethics, and Training methods in Resuscitation, discussed and evaluated the available scientific evidence.

Various copies of the new guidelines and information about them can be obtained from the following websites:

American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3022512

European Resuscitation Council
http://www.erc.edu

Resuscitation Council UK
http://www.resus.org.uk/pages/mediMain.htm

Keep checking this website for information on how the Federation and National Societies will be implementing these new guidelines.

Free First Aid Video Clips

Did you know you can download first aid video clips from the British Red Cross website?  If you use a multimedia projector for first aid training you can save these clips onto your laptop then play the clips from through the projector in any of your classes. Click here to view the five different clips.  At the moment video clips are available for:

• Burns
• Bleeding
• Choking
• Recovery position for unconscious adult (still breathing)
• CPR for unconscious adult (no signs of life)

NB:  The CPR clip has not been updated with the new resuscitation guidelines yet

If you have a supplier of first aid kits, first aid supplies or training equipment that you think gives an excellent price and service then please pass this on to the Caribbean First Aid Project at firstaid@caribbeanredcross.org

This way all National Societies in the Caribbean can benefit from better service and cheaper prices.  Once we have the information we will publish a ‘recommended supplier’ list on this website.