Advanced Cardiac Life Support

Advanced cardiac life support is a algorithm based model used to enhance basic CPR and provide a national standardized response to a life threatening emergency. Someone taking the ACLS course will be able to handle ten core emergency situations:

ACLS starts with the concepts of basic life support. All algorithms in ACLS start with the basic "ABC's" of CPR. If necessary, open the Airway, provide positive pressure Breathing, and support the Circulation by giving Chest compressions. A "D" step is added where the provider checks for ventricular fibrillation and Defibrillates if necessary.

While basic CPR is occurring, ACLS then builds on the ABC survey of CPR with a second survey of the patient. This second survey focuses on more advanced assessments and treatments that health care providers possess.

Airway - provide advanced airway management, which means providing a direct access to the patients wind-pipe, by means of an endotracheal tube or some other device.

Breathing - Check the adequacy of oxygenation and ventilation by:

Circulation - Obtain IV access, determine the electrical rhythm of the heart and give appropriate medicine based on the rhythm

The "D" in this advanced assessment stands for Diagnosis where the provider searches for a possible causes of the patients condition and what to do to fix that condition.

In an ACLS hospital emergency, "code blue" for example, many different health care providers respond and help the patient based on their area of expertise. Nurses will obtain an IV access if one isn't in place, help run the defibrillator, or record what has been done to the patient. Respiratory therapists or an anesthesiologist may make sure the patient's airway is secure by intubation, help the patient with their breathing. Some health care providers will be providing basic CPR while all of this is taking place. Other technicians will arrive and leave the scene to take a blood sample or a chest x-ray.

A doctor will be present to give orders based on the ACLS algorithms. Because many of these health care providers are trained in the same ACLS protocols that the doctor is using to give orders a typical code blue is usually a very efficient process. Nurses, for example, will know before hand which medicines the doctor is about to order.

The ten core emergencies that an ACLS provider are trained in are:

Source - ACLS Provider Manual; published in 2001 by the American Heart Association

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Last Updated 6/6/2006 9:56:54 PM

 


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