ACLS & PALS

Explore the advanced cardiovascular life support framework for rapid, evidence-based responses, emphasizing timely on-scene assessment and reassessment using basic life support (bls) survey and acl survey to guide care.

Assess the consciousness of a downed person quickly and ensure scene safety. If unconscious, perform the BLS survey then the ACL survey; if conscious, start with the ACL survey.

Explore the basics of basic life support, including the chain of survival, high-quality chest compressions for adults, children, and infants, rescue breathing, teamwork, choking management, and adult pulse algorithms.

Explore the adult and pediatric chains of survival, emphasizing early BLS, recognizing symptoms, activating EMS, high-quality CPR, defibrillation with AEB, and post cardiac arrest care.

Explore the 2020 BLS guideline changes, emphasizing early lay CPR, the bystander role, the chain of survival, and post-ROSC care with targeted temperature management and neuro prognostication.

Master one-rescuer bls for adults: assess scene, activate ems, start 30:2 cpr with two hands at 5-6 cm depth, 100-120/min, then tilt head, open airway, give breaths, defibrillate when available.

Learn two-rescuer BLS/CPR for adults, including calling EMS, AED use, and switching roles every five cycles to maintain high-quality chest compressions and effective rescue breaths.

Demonstrate adult mouth-to-mouth ventilation for one-rescuer CPR with a pocket mask, seal the mask, open the airway with head tilt chin lift, and deliver breaths for over one second.

In two-rescuer adult CPR, one rescuer performs 30 chest compressions while the other seals the bag-mask and opens the airway with a jaw lift to deliver two one-second breaths.

Learn basic life support for children and infants, including team-based CPR with chest compressions, airway management, rescue breaths, and pediatric AED use, with safety and call-for-help steps.

Perform pediatric CPR with chest compressions at 100 to 120 per minute, about 2 inches deep, then open the airway for two one-second breaths, alternating compressions and breaths.

Learn one-rescuer basic life support for infants from newborn to 12 months, including scene safety, breathing and pulse checks, 30 compressions and 2 breaths, and defibrillator readiness with pediatric pads.

Perform infant CPR with 2–3 fingers on the sternum, compress 1.5 inches at 100–120 per minute, then allow chest recoil and switch to breaths after 30 compressions.

Learn child and infant mouth-to-mask ventilation with a tight seal using a pediatric pocket mask, press the edges, and deliver one breath over one second while watching the chest rise.

Demonstrate two-rescuer child or infant bag valve mask ventilation during CPR, focusing on a tight seal, jaw lift, and delivering two breaths after 15 high-quality chest compressions.

The heart’s normal anatomy features four chambers separated by septa, with atria and ventricles contracting to pump blood through the aorta; electrical activity begins at the SA node.

Explore the normal heart conduction pathway from the SA node to the ventricles, covering P waves, PR interval, QRS complex, and T waves, plus rhythm disturbances.

Apply the ACLS survey's abcd framework—airway, breathing with oxygen and capnography, circulation with iv/io access, and differential diagnosis—minimizing CPR interruptions and brief pauses for airway placement.

Explore basic and advanced airway equipment for ACLS and PALS, including oropharyngeal airway (OPA) and nasal pharyngeal airway (NPA). Decide when to place an advanced airway to minimize CPR interruption.

Learn when to use oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal airways and suction to maintain patency; assess gag reflex and consciousness to guide safe insertion and avoid injury.

Learn basic airway technique in acls & pals, including sizing and insertion of oral and nasopharyngeal airways, and safe suctioning protocols to maintain oxygenation and airway patency.

Learn advanced airway adjuncts and when to use them, including endotracheal tubes, laryngeal mask airways, and esophageal tracheal tubes, with emphasis on minimizing chest compression interruptions.

Learn intravenous and intraosseous routes for resuscitation, noting peripheral iv as preferred, io for rapid access when iv fails, and early iv or io administration during CPR.

Apply pharmacological tools in ACLS, consulting table one for doses, routes, and indications of common adult a-class drugs, while studying actions and side effects within your scope of practice.

Learn the principles of early defibrillation to boost survival with immediate CPR and defibrillation that restores rhythm, using mono- or biphasic energy and escalating as needed while chest compressions continue.

Activate the AED, place pads on the upper right and lower left chest, and follow the device’s rhythm-based shock prompts without stopping CPR more than 10 seconds.

Identify when to apply an AED and perform basic AED operation, including pad placement, delivering shocks safely, and resuming CPR.

Discover how systems of care coordinate multidisciplinary teams to deliver life saving interventions efficiently, uniting hospitals, EMS staff, and communities to improve survival rates.

Explore the chain of survival for CPR within the ACLS and PALS framework, from activating EMS and early CPR to defibrillation with AED and post-cardiac arrest care.

Master post-cardiac arrest care, including targeted temperature management after ROSC, oxygen titration to keep SpO2 above 94%, controlled ventilation, hemodynamic support, tight glycemic control, and PCI preferred over thrombolytics.

recognize acute coronary syndrome and activate EMS to enable rapid pre-hospital and hospital care, with reperfusion via PCI or fiber analytic to save heart tissue.

Outline the resuscitation team and roles per ILCOR guidelines for ACLS and PALS, with a team leader coordinating, defined tasks, and emphasis on closed-loop communication and early calls for help.

Explore how rapid response teams and medical emergency teams detect impending cardiac arrest with alert criteria like threatened airway, bradycardia, tachycardia, and altered mental status to improve survival.

Recognize respiratory arrest and apply the ABCD pattern using BLS and ACLS surveys; manage with basic and advanced airways, head tilt chin lift or jaw thrust, and avoid over-ventilation.

Identify pulseless ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation, learn their recognition rules, and apply ACLS management with BLS, AED analysis, and shock decisions.

Identify pulseless electrical activity and asystole on ECG, verify readings and equipment, and review reversible causes (Hs and Ts) and post cardiac arrest care.

apply the adult cardiac arrest algorithm: high-quality CPR with 2.45–6 cm depth and 100–120 bpm, minimal interruptions, 30:2 ratio, biphasic defibrillation, and epinephrine administration.

After ROSC, optimize ventilation and circulation, protect heart and brain tissue, manage blood pressure with fluids and vasopressors, monitor glucose, and apply targeted temperature management for at least 24 hours.

Explore symptomatic bradycardia defined as heart rate under 60 bpm, and review sinus bradycardia, first-degree AV block, second-degree AV block (Wenckebach or Mobitz II), and third-degree AV block.

Explore tachycardia, defined as heart rate above 100 bpm, its impact on ventricular filling, cardiac output, and coronary blood supply, and the stable vs unstable classifications with symptoms.

Learn to assess and manage symptomatic tachycardia by identifying stability, using vagal maneuvers, adenosine with caution in asthma, and treating with synchronized cardioversion, amiodarone, beta blockers, and magnesium as needed.

Explore stable and unstable tachycardias, including sinus tachycardia, atrial flutter, and atrial fibrillation, detailing rhythm regularity, rates, sawtooth p waves, and irregular narrow complex tachycardia.

Identify acute coronary syndrome by chest pain and related symptoms, activate EMS, deliver oxygen, aspirin, and nitroglycerin, obtain a 12-lead ECG, start IVs, and follow the ACS protocol.

Understand acute stroke, ischemic or hemorrhagic, with signs like facial droop, arm drift, or speech changes; learn Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale use, ems activation, and urgent imaging and treatment pathways.

Explore the pals framework and pulse panels protocols, designed for quick recall by health care professionals and caregivers during infant and child life-threatening events.