Implementation of the resuscitation guidelines 2005 in student education

November 28(th) 2005 the revised guidelines for resuscitation have been published by the European Resuscitation Council (ERC). Subsequently the modifications and innovations not only had to be passed on to lay persons and professionals but also as soon as possible to medical students. With commencement of the new regulations for the license to practice medicine (Approbationsordnung fur Arzte) on October 1(st) 2003, Emergency Medicine is an independent cross-section subject within the curriculum for a medical degree since summer-semester 2004. With this the structural prerequisites for teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation according to the guidelines already had been established. Thereby it already has been possible to adapt the content of teaching with the summer-semester 2006. This article describes what methods are feasible to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation according to the ERC guidelines 2005, how they can be examined and what efforts are necessary for realization.