Principles of ACLS

ACLS is an additional capacity for emergency medical providers and hospital or health care facilities. ACLS stands for Advanced Cardiac Life Support and takes basic life support (BLS) to a completely new level. The main patients requiring the use of ACLS technicians are those who are in cardiac arrest or having a stroke, and in some cases patients who have overdosed or suffered other traumas causing heart attacks or distress. The principles of ACLS help to stabilize and get the patient to a medical facility, or a doctor. ACLS requires more training and higher certification, and allows for a broader application of skills and interventions that are more complicated.

CPR

• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, better known as CPR, is the most vital function of any ACLS team. CPR involves keeping oxygen pumping into the lungs and circulating it, via the bloodstream, so the brain and vital organs continue to function until the patient is stable, or is in a position to get care that is more aggressive. ACLS teams often have the most advanced methods of oxygen delivery at their disposal, but all technicians have training in basic CPR skills in case technology fails.

Intubation

• One of the stronger interventions available to ACLS personnel is intubation. The act of passing a tube down the airway to keep it open, and knowing how to seat it so that it is in the lungs rather than the stomach, is just a small part of intubation. Other important aspects of intubation training include starting I.V.s, or intravenous lines, to allow easier and faster drug delivery for medical relief, and some surgical insertions including chest tubes and central lines.

Defibrillation

• Another vital skill for an ACLS team member is application of a defibrillator when the patient's heart stops beating completely, or is irregular. Certification includes learning how to start the defibrillator and how to read an electrocardiogram so you know if your attempts are successful.

Training

• Interested students can look for the initial training classes at participating hospitals, colleges that offer emergency medical training, and online. Most ACLS trainees are already in the medical field in other positions, such as RNs, EMTs, paramedics and respiratory therapists. Along with the initial training for certification, all ACLS-certified personnel must have the number of hours of continued education in order to renew their license. This can be on a yearly, bi-annual or other schedule, and the number of hours varies by state. Some states allow ACLS personnel to take a certain number of continuing education hours online.