American Heart Association Updates 2025 Lifesaving Guidelines for Cardiac Arrest, Choking, and Opioid Emergencies
DALLAS, TX, UNITED STATES, November 17, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- With over 350,000 Americans experiencing an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year and survival rates remaining low at approximately one in ten, the American Heart Association (AHA) has released its comprehensive 2025 CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) Guidelines. These updates are designed to make lifesaving techniques easier to remember and more effective for the general public.
The 2025 Guidelines incorporate new and updated recommendations focusing on key emergencies the public may encounter, including cardiac arrest, conscious choking, and opioid-related emergencies.
"The 2025 Guidelines for CPR provide updated life-saving recommendations, including what to do for someone choking or experiencing an opioid overdose, making it easier for anyone to remember and use," said Dr. Ashish Panchal, Chair of the AHA Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science Committee.
Key Guideline Updates for Lay Rescuers:
• Conscious Choking: The guidance for conscious adults or children who are choking is now to alternate between five back blows and five abdominal thrusts. This change aims to simplify the immediate response and improve outcomes.
• Opioid Emergencies: The guidelines now include specific recommendations for the use of naloxone (an opioid overdose reversal medication) in opioid-related emergencies, emphasizing the importance of immediate action and intervention.
Dr. Panchal stressed the vital role of the public in the chain of survival: "CPR saves lives. We need your support to ensure that everyone who needs CPR receives it. That starts with learning it yourself. Take a CPR class to learn what to do in an emergency. Everyone has a role to play in the chain of survival.”
The American Heart Association urges all members of the community to learn CPR and be prepared to act in an emergency.
For more information, please visit https://www.heart.org/nation.
The 2025 Guidelines incorporate new and updated recommendations focusing on key emergencies the public may encounter, including cardiac arrest, conscious choking, and opioid-related emergencies.
"The 2025 Guidelines for CPR provide updated life-saving recommendations, including what to do for someone choking or experiencing an opioid overdose, making it easier for anyone to remember and use," said Dr. Ashish Panchal, Chair of the AHA Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science Committee.
Key Guideline Updates for Lay Rescuers:
• Conscious Choking: The guidance for conscious adults or children who are choking is now to alternate between five back blows and five abdominal thrusts. This change aims to simplify the immediate response and improve outcomes.
• Opioid Emergencies: The guidelines now include specific recommendations for the use of naloxone (an opioid overdose reversal medication) in opioid-related emergencies, emphasizing the importance of immediate action and intervention.
Dr. Panchal stressed the vital role of the public in the chain of survival: "CPR saves lives. We need your support to ensure that everyone who needs CPR receives it. That starts with learning it yourself. Take a CPR class to learn what to do in an emergency. Everyone has a role to play in the chain of survival.”
The American Heart Association urges all members of the community to learn CPR and be prepared to act in an emergency.
For more information, please visit https://www.heart.org/nation.
Monica Sales
American Heart Association
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