The European Resuscitation Council's Paediatric Life Support Course 'Advanced Paediatric Life Support'

The poor outcome for resuscitation from cardiopulmonary arrest in childhood is widely recognised. The European Resuscitation Council has adopted the A dvanced Paediatric Life Support course (originating in the UK and now avail able in a number of countries) as its course for providers caring for child ren. This paper outlines the course content and explains its remit, which i s to reduce avoidable deaths in childhood by not only resuscitation from ca rdiac arrest but, more effectively, by recognising and treating in a timely and effective fashion life-threatening illness and injury in infants and c hildren. Two related courses Paediatric Life Support, a less intense course for less advanced providers, and Pre-Hospital Paediatric Life Support for immediate care providers are also described. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Irel and Ltd. All rights reserved.