October 23, 2025- The “2025 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC),” marks the first full revision of lifesaving resuscitation guidance since 2020. Among the updates are expanded recommendations for managing choking and suspected opioid overdose, in addition to other lifesaving interventions.
Each year, approximately 350,000 people in the U.S. experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest – when the heart suddenly stops beating – which results in death 90% of the time, according to the Association’s statistics. The 2025 CPR guidelines provide an extensive review of the latest science, translating it into clear, lifesaving recommendations that empower people to act when every second counts.
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests caused by respiratory emergencies or asphyxia occur in more than 9% of adults and 39% of children in the U.S. New guidance on choking recommends alternating five back blows followed by five abdominal thrusts for conscious children and adults, until the foreign object is expelled or the person becomes unresponsive. Choking guidance for adults was not included in the previous guidelines, and earlier guidance for children called for performing abdominal thrusts only. For infants, rescuers should alternate between five back blows and five chest thrusts using the heel of one hand, until the foreign object is expelled or the infant becomes unresponsive. Abdominal thrusts are not recommended for infants, due to the risk of injury.