A telephone questionnaire was undertaken on middle grade trainee paediatricians to test their knowledge of European Resuscitation Council guidelines. Fifty seven responded of whom only 15 (26%) offered a correct sequence of management for asystole and eight (14%) failed to identify adrenaline in their management. For ventricular fibrillation only 18/57 (32%) identified a correct sequence and very poor specific knowledge was identified. Paediatricians will under perform in the event of cardiac arrest in children without improved training in resuscitation.