Advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS) includes a specified set of clinical interventions that are used to treat life-threatening cardiovascular emergencies, including heart attacks, strokes, and other medical emergencies. ACLS certification gives an individual the knowledge and skills to deploy these clinical interventions when required.
Only qualified healthcare professionals can provide ACLS, which requires a number of specific skills, including the ability to initiate IV access, read and assess the results of electrocardiograms, manage the patient’s airway, and maintain an understanding of emergency pharmacology measures. Healthcare professionals qualified may include dentists, nurse practitioners, paramedics, physician’s aids, respiratory therapists, nurses, and other trained emergency medical technicians (EMTs). In addition, other types of emergency responders may receive ACLS training and certification depending on the context and setting.
The following are some of the basic components of ACLS certification and training.
CPR Courses
CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a life-saving intervention that can be learned either through a CPR or a basic life support (BLS) course. Both of these classes can help medical professionals, medical technicians, volunteers, and individuals gain the skills they need to identify and respond to cardiac emergencies by delivering timed compressions to the chest cavity. Learning how to perform CPR is often part of the course of study of a paramedic, firefighter, or other EMT. Depending on the level of CPR chosen, the individual may be able to treat adults, children, babies, or all three.
During a CPR class, you will first learn the significant of CPR. Though CPR can't restart a heart that has stopped due to cardiac arrest, it can keep blood circulating through the body until emergency medical assistance arrives. The goal of CPR to keep blood circulating in order to prevent organ damage. When CPR is performed effectively, it can save lives.
AED Courses
Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are light, portable devices that can be used to deliver an electric shock to the heart during sudden cardiac arrest. This electric shock is capable of stopping an irregular heartbeat in order to allow the normal rhythm to resume.
AED builds on a number of skills and techniques taught in CPR, BLS, and first aid courses. It helps students gain knowledge about how the heart works and what might go wrong, including situations that require defibrillation. Participants will also learn how to operate an AED machine, including maintenance, reporting protocols, and data management in the wake of an incident.
BLS Courses
Basic life support (BLS) courses and certification are designed to help healthcare professionals and other trained first responders to prove care during and after cardiac arrest. The skills and interventions taught in the course can be used in a wide variety of settings, including in both single-rescuer and team-rescue situations. This course is often required for professionals who work in hospitals and other healthcare settings. In a BLS course, you will learn the most up-to-date resuscitation techniques and research, with the goal of improving patient outcomes. In addition, you’ll practice with realistic simulations and scenarios that involve rescuers, teams, and patients. Finally, in some cases, course material is adapted to suit particular healthcare settings.