Utstein Style for emergency care - the first 30 years.

BACKGROUND: Utstein Abbey near Stavanger in Norway, hosted a meeting in 1990 on guidelines for the uniform reporting of data from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. In this paper we describe the last 30 years of the Utstein style.

METHODS: A systematic literature search identified publications from Utstein-style meetings or groups using the Utstein format.

RESULTS: 30 outputs were found, describing primarily resuscitation structure, process and outcome measures. They originated from all over the world and from multiple medical disciplines. Some were co-published in multiple journals.

CONCLUSIONS: The meeting at Utstein Abbey in 1990 has had a sustained and far-reaching impact, particularly in resuscitation science, implementation and outcomes. The Utstein format will continue to evolve following the key principles from the original meeting and with the ultimate aim of improving patient care and outcomes.