CPR and cardiac arrest: Advanced Life Support
We offer two kinds of CPR training at our providers: Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support. Basic Life Support courses teach basic interventions for managing cardiac arrest, a condition where the heart stops beating. Cardiac arrest can be caused by pre-existing cardiovascular disease, stroke, or heart attack (myocardial infarction).
Cardiac arrest is very dangerous because if the heart doesn’t beat, blood doesn’t circulate through the body. Major organs start to fail with oxygenated blood flowing to them, especially the brain. While other organs can survive minutes to hours with oxygenated blood, brain tissue starts to die within 7 to 10 minutes. Once tissue dies it can no longer function properly even if blood flow to the area was restored.
Through chest compressions and rescue breaths, the rescuer manually restores the circulation of blood in the body until the heart starts beating again. Basic Life Support interventions is focused on basic skills while medical interventions are included in Advanced Life Support.
Medical Interventions in ALS
According to the American Heart Association, medical interventions such as giving medication during CPR increases the likelihood of the return of spontaneous circulation of blood. Research also shows the same results with the use of ventilatory assist devices such as bag valve masks and ET tubes, compared to simple mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths. Trainees are taught how to use a crash cart, a movable cart with the medication and equipment used during CPR.
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
ACLS training runs for a total of 16 hours over a 2-day course. The program teaches students how to manage cardiac arrest using BLS and medical interventions on an adult victim. We teach trainees about common medications used during CPR and during post-cardiac arrest care, equipment such as oxygen support devices and mechanical ventilators, and diagnostic exams such as electrocardiography.
Trainees are also taught about a few first aid skills, primarily in wound care and choking management (Heimlich maneuver and back blows). Trainees are given a complete first aid kit to practice with, on high-end training mannequins and their exercise partners.
ACLS certification
We award trainees who are able to complete the 2-day ACLS course are training certificate valid for 24 months. Training certificates that approach expiration can be renewed through a re-certification program. We hold re-certification programs for trainees who want renew nearly expired certification.
Re-certification for ACLS training is shorter compared to the ACLS training program, running from 5 to 6 hours long. If your certificate has expired, it can no longer be renewed. You have to retake the ACLS training progrma.
Enrolment and sign up
If you want to get certified for ACLS training, just sign up for our ACLS training program through our provider webpages. We have six training locations in the US where you can sign up: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, Seattle, Oregon, and Las Vegas. All of the provider webpages have an online application form you can use to sign up. Enrolment through e-mails, telephone calls, and in person is highly encouraged as well.