The following are key points from the 2015 American Heart Association pediatric basic life support cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) guidelines update (part 11):

1. Survival of pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest remains poor, with approximately 8% survival across all age groups.
2. Ventilation is important as asphyxial cardiac arrest is more common in children. However, C-A-B or the Compression, Airway, Breathing sequence remains the recommended algorithm to offer consistency to rescuers who treat both children and adults, and to increase bystander CPR participation.
3. High-quality CPR consists of:
   • Adequate chest compression rate (100-120 bpm) and depth (1/3 antero-posterior chest diameter) with full interval recoil.
   • Minimal interruptions.
   • Avoidance of excessive ventilation (just enough to see chest rise, 12-20 breaths/minute).
4. Compression/rescue breathing CPR is preferable to compression only CPR. However, if rescuers are unwilling or unable to deliver rescue breaths, compression only CPR is recommended.

Keywords: American Heart Association, Arrhythmias, Cardiac, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Emergency Medical Services, Heart Arrest, Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest, Pediatrics, Survival, Ventilation, Heart Defects, Congenital

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