ACLS stands for Advanced Cardiac Life Support, am American term used for intervention when a patient is having a heart attack (myocardial infarction) or other severe breathing or circulation problems. The accreditation process is granted by the American Heart Association in conjunction with the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. This training is frequently recognized in most Westernized countries as the gold standard for continuing medical education credits.

Typically this qualification is granted in the context of a more advanced degree, such as a paramedic technician, MD, DPM or advanced nursing degrees. ACLS certification includes the training for electrocardiogram (EKG) interpretation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) starting intravenous fluids, defibrillator training, administration of cardiac drugs, and the intubation of patients with advanced airways. The pediatric equivalent of this qualification is Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and carries many of the same requirements with specialized information regarding children's physiology. Guidelines are updated every five years based on current research.

Naturally, this certificate is granted after classroom time and a reasonable amount of prerequisite education, at minimum several scholastic semesters. Depending on certification, physicians and nurses are required to be recertified in ACLS every two years, state/region-dependent. The prerequisite for the class recertification may be both BLS and a license in one of the professional healthcare fields. Depending on the recertification requirements, a portion or an entirety of the class may be available online. The vast majority of classes (unless sponsored by the healthcare professional's work) are roughly $150 to $250 dollars for one or two days. Training hours depend on the license state; expired licenses and new licenses have a longer session than license renewal.

The lower level alternative to this qualification is referred to as BLS (basic life support). The amount of hours required is less and focuses mainly on the intricacies of CPR. The new curriculum concentrates on the compression portion of CPR, as recent research indicates the circulation it provides is more immediately effective than pausing CPR to give rescue breaths. The process frequently teaches stepwise algorithms with contemporaneous scenarios like drug overdose and pediatric shortness of breath.

Wondering where to get acls certification? ACLS certification is available from diverse sources, including: Private colleges, public junior colleges or technical colleges; and nursing or medical schools. The cost of this education varies widely within the United States. Private training and some military medic training includes ACLS qualification. Many medical schools offer the training, and hospitals frequently offer in-house training. AHA's web site has a locator tool that matches students with the classes they require and the guidelines for each medical profession. In addition, instructor training courses are available for qualified candidates.