2025 Korean Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Part 3. Adult basic life support

The 2025 Korean basic life support guidelines are evidence-based treatment recommendations for basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The 2025 guidelines recommend that after checking the response of a patient suspected of cardiac arrest, call 119 (emergency medical services) immediately and request an automatic external defibrillator (AED) before performing procedures to confirm cardiac arrest, such as checking breathing. There is currently insufficient evidence into the clinical effectiveness of dispatcher actively instructing individuals who report an emergency to secure and use AED, but one observational study reported an increase in some survival rates. The guidelines recommend that lay rescuers and emergency medical personnel who have been trained in and are willing to perform artificial ventilation should apply standard CPR including artificial ventilation, and that lay rescuers who are not trained in or do not want to perform artificial ventilation should perform compression-only CPR. The guidelines emphasized the use of high-quality CPR about compression and ventilation. The application of a rapid AED is continuously emphasized, and the anterolateral positioning method is recommended as a priority for ease of application. Healthcare workers are recommended to perform standard CPR at a ratio of 30:2 for patients suspected of being infected with a high-risk pathogen, and to wear personal protective equipment, including an airborne mask, disposable gloves, disposable gowns, and goggles, to ensure adequate protection against infection.