The paediatric life support working party of the European Resuscitation Council was set up in 1992 with the aim of producing guidelines for basic and advanced paediatric resuscitation that would be acceptable throughout Europe. The commonest cause of cardiac arrest in children is problems with the airway. The resulting difficulties in breathing and the associated hypoxia rapidly cause a severe bradycardia or asystole. In contrast, adults have primary cardiac events resulting in ventricular fibrillation. This important difference in the pathogenesis of paediatric and adult cardiac arrest is reflected in these European Resuscitation Council guidelines, which complement those already published for adults.