Six years after our first conversation, Professor Jerry Nolan — editor in chief of the journal Resuscitation and a leading figure in the field — returns to the podcast. Back then, he was chairing the European Resuscitation Council and preparing for the 2020 guidelines. A lot has changed since.
Listen to the episode
What we cover
This is a wide-ranging, honest conversation spanning the full landscape of resuscitation science and survivorship.
Survival rates have plateaued at around 9–10% in the UK — Jerry explains why changing patient demographics are masking real progress in care.
COVID-19 increased cardiac arrest incidence and reduced survival both in and out of hospital. Jerry also offers a measured take on vaccination.
The 2025 ERC guidelines involved a massive international collaboration and, for the first time, formally included patient and co-survivor voices. Jerry walks us through the scale of the effort — from ILCOR evidence reviews to public consultation.
The Chain of Survival has been redesigned with a new ring dedicated to recovery and quality of life, encompassing survivors and the community around them.
Temperature control has shifted dramatically — routine cooling has largely stopped, but exciting intra-arrest cooling trials could change the picture again. Jerry reassures those who were cooled: there’s no evidence of harm.
Prognostication now works both ways — predicting good outcomes, not just poor ones — which helps families and guides treatment decisions during the most uncertain hours.
Rehabilitation remains the biggest gap. Cardiac arrest survivors fall between cardiac rehab and brain injury services, and the evidence base for interventions is still frustratingly thin.
Co-survivors — family members, bystanders, lay rescuers — are now formally recognised in the guidelines. We discuss the language shift from “bystander” to “co-survivor” and the emerging research from the Essex-based RESCUE project.
Technology and AI are reshaping the field: from smartwatches detecting cardiac arrest, to AI interpreting brainwaves, to large language models accelerating guideline development.
About Professor Jerry Nolan
Professor Nolan is the editor-in-chief of Resuscitation, a board member of the ERC, and a consultant anaesthetist. He has shaped international resuscitation guidelines for over two decades.
Resources
- ERC 2025 Guidelines — free to download
- Resuscitation Council UK
- ILCOR — open for public comment
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After our first meet-up in February 2015, I realised I was not alone. It was the first time since my cardiac arrest the previous year that I had spoken face-to-face with someone who had experienced what I had. This was also true for my wife, who also happened to be my lifesaver. From that meet-up, the idea of SCA UK was born. Since then, we have achieved a considerable amount, primarily providing information, resources and support to others in a similar situation but also raising the profile of survivorship and the need for better post-discharge care. We are starting to get traction in this, and with the formation of the charity, I genuinely believe we have a bright future ahead and will make a significant difference in the lives of many who join our ranks.