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Guideline change · RCUK Published 8 Aug 2026 · 4 min read

RCUK clarifies agonal breathing in BLS recognition

Resuscitation Council UK has restated how abnormal breathing should be described when recognising cardiac arrest. The wording changes what you say in the classroom more than what you do at the casualty.

What changed

Resuscitation Council UK has published a statement clarifying how agonal breathing should be taught within basic life support recognition. The algorithm is unchanged. What changes is the language: occasional, gasping or noisy breaths in an unresponsive casualty are to be described as not breathing normally, and treated as cardiac arrest.

The clarification follows continued reports of delayed CPR where a bystander saw gasping and concluded the casualty was still breathing.

Read the original RCUK statement

What it means for trainers

  • Say "not breathing normally" rather than "not breathing" throughout the recognition sequence.
  • Show agonal breathing rather than describing it. Learners who have only heard it described routinely miss it.
  • Make explicit that gasping is a reason to start compressions, not a reason to wait.