BLS and ACLS Certification
Glenn Woodworth
▪ INTRODUCTION
▪ AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION EMERGENCY CARE COURSES
In the United States, the American Heart Association (AHA) produces national guidelines and training materials for the emergency care of victims of potentially life-threatening conditions. These guidelines cover everything from basic first aid to ACLS and are divided into various courses to supplement the training of laypersons and health care providers. Some of the available courses include the following:
CPR Anytime and Infant CPR Anytime: layperson DVD-based home training for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
Heartsaver First Aid, CPR, AED: layperson course to teach basic first aid, CPR, and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). These courses can be taken online or with an instructor.
Basic Life Support (BLS): a course designed for health care providers that covers basic airway management, CPR, choking, and AEDs. This course can be taken with an instructor or online. If you choose the online course, you must still complete a skills test in person with a certified instructor.
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS): a course designed for health care providers (emergency medical technicians, nurses, physicians, paramedics, etc.) that covers advanced airway skills, CPR, AEDs, electrocardiogram (ECG) recognition, resuscitation medications, manual defibrillation, acute coronary syndrome, and stroke.
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS): a course similar to ACLS but designed for those who care regularly for infants and children. Everything from drug doses, intravenous access, and resuscitation strategies can be different for infants and children when compared to adults.
Successful completion of one of these approved courses results in certification and issuance of a “card” that certifies that the individual has completed an AHA-approved course. Each course carries a separate certification. The certification card is time limited and must be renewed every 2 years. The BLS course requires approximately 4 hours of classroom time. ACLS courses are usually administered over 2 days and include a written and practical exam. For those who hold current ACLS certification, a “renewal” course can be taken that is administered in a single day. ACLS courses may also be administered on-line; however, an in-person skills test is also required.
▪ RESUSCITATION GUIDELINES
The core subject matter of both the ACLS and BLS courses revolves around resuscitation “guidelines” developed by the AHA. The guidelines describe the recommended initial treatment protocols for victims of cardiac arrest, cardiac arrhythmias, acute coronary syndrome, and stroke. They include recommendations for the specific technique to perform skills and the timing and sequence of initial treatments. In particular, the AHA guidelines are known worldwide for specifying the current recommended technique for performing CPR, including the depth and rate of chest compressions and the timing of ventilations.
The AHA convenes a scientific advisory panel to review the available international scientific literature to develop evidence-based guidelines.
Revisions to the guidelines based on the science review are published every 5 years (2000, 2010, 2015, etc.) in the journal Circulation. New training materials and updates to courses occur early in the following year. In order to remain familiar with the most current guidelines, health care providers should review new guidelines when they are published. When new guidelines are announced, many certificate holders choose to renew their certification with another course that covers the new guidelines, even if their current card does not expire for some time.
Revisions to the guidelines based on the science review are published every 5 years (2000, 2010, 2015, etc.) in the journal Circulation. New training materials and updates to courses occur early in the following year. In order to remain familiar with the most current guidelines, health care providers should review new guidelines when they are published. When new guidelines are announced, many certificate holders choose to renew their certification with another course that covers the new guidelines, even if their current card does not expire for some time.
Outside of the United States, several international organizations develop resuscitation guidelines including the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) and the Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation (ANZCOR). The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) provides a forum for coordination for resuscitation guideline development around the globe; however, the guidelines developed for different countries can be slightly different.
