The CPR guidelines that could save a life have been refined over the years. The Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) and the Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation (ANZCOR) informs how cardiopulmonary resuscitation is taught and performed across Australia by reviewing emerging science and updating treatment recommendations. What has changed and what’s stayed the same both matter for anyone who holds a CPR certificate or who wants to learn CPR.
What the 2024 CPR Guidelines Updates Changed
The 2024 updates to the ANZCOR CPR guidelines changed how paramedics and hospital staff care for patients after resuscitation. These updates align with the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR), which publishes the International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science with Treatment Recommendations.
One update was to Guideline 11.7, which covers post-resuscitation treatment. When a heart restarts after cardiac arrest, the brain and organs have been starved of oxygen. Paramedics and hospital staff now have specific targets to keep blood pressure and oxygen at.
Guideline 11.3, covering precordial thump and percussion pacing, also received an update in April 2024. This guideline covers precordial thump, a sharp blow to the chest used to try to restart a heart that has just stopped, and percussion pacing, repeated tapping on the chest to stimulate heartbeats when the heart is beating too slowly. Both techniques require cardiac monitoring equipment, so are not a part of standard CPR.
What Hasn't Changed With Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
The basic principles of cardiopulmonary resuscitation remain consistent with what ANZCOR and ARC guidelines have recommended for several years now. If someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally, start CPR. The DRSABCD first aid action plan still guides the response: check for Danger, check for Responsiveness, Send for help, open the Airway, check for Breathing, begin CPR, and attach an automated external Defibrillator (AED) when one becomes available in instances of cardiac arrest.
The compression-to-rescue breath ratio remains 30:2 for all ages. This means you perform 30 chest compressions followed by two rescue breaths, then repeat the cycle. Chest compressions should be delivered at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute, or nearly two compressions every second. Compression depth remains 5 cm for adults, and about 4 centimetres for infants. Head tilt chin lift is still the method for opening the airway and two rescue breaths via mouth-to-mouth ventilation are still recommended for adults, compared to two gentle puffs for infants under 1 year old.
You can be confident that your CPR training still reflects current best practice and CPR guidelines. The fundamentals of CPR have been stable for some time now, and the 2024 updates did not alter any of the hands-on techniques.
Skill Decay: The Real Problem
The most significant challenge with CPR is not about memorising the CPR steps or CPR instructions. The real issue is that your skills fade over time. This decay happens regardless of how well you performed at the end of your course. The gap between how well you think you would perform and how well you actually perform can be significant.
While CPR guidelines do not dictate mandatory renewal windows, the standard recommendation is to renew CPR certification every year, and for jobs where holding a CPR certificate is a part of compliance, it’s mandatory. The more frequently you practise, the more likely you are to remember the steps and execute them correctly when an emergency happens.
A CPR refresher course takes only a few hours, but the skills you practise could mean the difference between life and death for someone you care about. If more than 12 months have passed since your last training, book your HLTAID009 Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation course now and make sure you are ready to go from a bystander to a rescuer when it matters most.
FAQs
How Often Should I Renew a First Aid Course?
While first aid courses teach CPR, they should be taken every three years compared to the annual renewal of a CPR training course.
Can I Hurt Someone by Performing CPR Incorrectly?
Yes. Rib fractures and other injuries can occur during CPR, but these are considered acceptable consequences given the alternative could be death. The survival benefit of starting CPR far outweighs the low risk of injury.
Am I Legally Protected if I Perform CPR?
All Australian states and territories have Good Samaritan laws that protect people who provide emergency assistance in good faith. Protection applies as long as you are not intoxicated, did not cause the emergency, and act in good faith.