ACLS stands for Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support. ACLS begins with the basics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and continues on to advanced treatment options for the victim of cardiac arrest.

ACLS is also about conditions that lead to cardiac arrest, such as: respiratory arrest, bradycardia, tachycardia, acute coronary syndrome, and stroke.

ACLS follows internationally accepted treatment guidelines developed using evidence based practice. These guidelines represent the consensus recommendations of resuscitation experts, and provide us with a common “playbook” when a cardiac emergency occurs. By learning a standard approach to assessing and treating cardiac emergencies as an organized team, ACLS providers from different settings can work together effectively.

Prior to beginning the ACLS course, students should have a working knowledge of:

• Basic Life Support (BLS/CPR)
• Basic ECG Rhythm Identification

Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) focuses on basic and advanced treatment of cardiac emergencies, and is part of an overall system to improve survival. To maximize survival, each component of the system must work effectively, including:

• Early recognition
• Early activation of the emergency response system
• Early CPR
• Early defibrillation
• High-quality advanced life support
• Post-arrest care

This system begins with early recognition of cardiac arrest and activation of the emergency response system. Community education programs to train the public to recognize cardiac arrest and other life threatening emergencies can improve survival. Early activation of the emergency response system reduces time to treatment, including improving early defibrillation. Out of the hospital setting, the emergency response system is activated by calling 9-1-1, or other regional emergency number. In the hospital setting, healthcare providers should know the emergency number used to summon help.

While ACLS certification requires knowledge of advanced treatment algorithms, these advanced interventions are secondary to early CPR and early defibrillation. Here again community outreach programs and facility-specific response strategies can reduce the time to CPR and the time to defibrillation by increasing the number of willing rescuers and improving access to AEDs.

Early recognition, early access, early CPR, and early defibrillation are all needed to maximize survival. Survival may be further improved by high-quality advanced life support capable of performing advanced interventions, such as advanced airway management, vascular access, and medication administration. Advanced life support is also needed to provide effective post-arrest care, support oxygenation, ventilation, and circulation for the post-arrest patient.