Updated CPR Guidelines

• By: Maureen Carland
• On: 11/12/2025 10:31:22
• In: Quality/Regulatory

The American Heart Association (AHA) has released its 2025 updates to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) guidelines bringing important changes for both health care professionals and everyday lifesavers. The purpose of the guidelines is to provide best practice recommendations in CPR and ECC.  
These guidelines provide an update to the recommendations in the 2020 guidelines and provide new recommendations to topics where recommendations previously did not exist. 
Key updates include: 

• A Single Chain of Survival:?A single streamlined model now applies to all cardiac arrest situations (i.e., applies to all ages and locations). 
   
• Fundamentals of Ventilation: The use of breaths with chest compressions is recommended for both health care professionals and lay rescuers when they are willing and capable. 
   
• Position and Location of CPR: The effectiveness of chest compression delivery can be improved through optimizing rescuer hand position, rescuer body position, and patient position. Whenever possible, CPR should be performed on a firm surface.? 
   
• Updated Choking Response:?For adults and children, initiate with?5 back blows?and?then alternate back and forth with 5 abdominal thrusts?until the object is cleared or the person becomes unresponsive.  
   
• Opioid Overdose Response:?Expanded emphasis on rapid naloxone use and public access to opioid emergency kits. 

Additional key updates are outlined in the Highlights of the 2025 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care document, including recommendations for education and post cardiac arrest care. 
Next steps: 
Clinical leadership should review the updated guidelines in order to provide necessary training for staff, along with updating any policies and procedures as necessary to address the changes. 
Staff contact: mcarland@mehca.org