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What Is PALS Certified?

The American Heart Association (AHA) offers training in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). Through its own courses, and courses by other health-care organizations using AHA teaching plans and guidelines, it seeks to provide pediatric health-care providers with "the knowledge and skills necessary to efficiently and effectively manage critically ill infants and children." Many health-care organizations now require their professional employees to obtain certification in PALS, and to recertify every two years.

  1. U.S. Infant Mortality Rankings

    • The infant mortality rate in the United States exceeds that in most developed countries. The gap between the U.S. rate and the rate in countries with low rates "appears to be widening." From 1960 to November 2008, the last year for which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention compiled statistics, the U.S. rankings fell from 12th to 29th.

    Leading Causes of Death Among Infants and Children

    • Heart disease is the fifth leading cause of death for children up to age 9. However, several other diseases and injuries can require pediatric heart-related intervention, or resuscitation, to prevent death, among them traumatic injury (particularly automobile-related injury), falls and chronic respiratory disease.

    PALS and Improved Outcomes

    • The AHA bases its PALS program on "science evidence from the 2005 AHA Guidelines for CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and ECC (Emergency Cardiac Care)," in order to improve outcomes for infants and children. You can read one typical PALS course outline in the Resources section ("American Heart PALs Advanced Life Support Certification Class").

    PALS Course Details

    • The PALS course will teach you to recognize, and to treat, children at risk for cardiopulmonary arrest. You will learn systematic approaches to assessment, how to effectively manage breathing difficulties, and how to conduct defibrillation (restoration of normal heart rhythms) and synchronized cardioversion (electric shock therapy to restore the patient's heartbeat). You will also learn to administer intraosseous access (establishment of an IV directly into bone marrow) and fluid bolus (IV fluid administration to counter dehydration).

    PALS Certification

    • Courses last from 14 to 20 hours and include skills practice. Upon completion, you will need to pass a written test. After you pass the test, you will receive a certification card good for two years. Every two years, you must take a recertification course. Note that while different organizations offer much shorter online courses, AHA's course description does not include online versions and does specify skills practice. Be sure to check with AHA before paying for an online course.

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