Why BLS and ACLS Training Is Critical in Cardiac Arrests

In 2009, cameras in a Portland, OR office building captured a cardiac arrest as it occurred. Several people responded appropriately, saving this man’s life – and every step of the life-saving process was captured on camera. 

The video shows as:

• A man suffers a sudden cardiac arrest
• A co-worker becomes aware of the situation and immediately calls for help
• Less than one minute after the event, 9-1-1 is called
• While on the phone with emergency dispatchers, co-workers begin administering CPR
• Within 4 minutes, first-responders from the Portland Fire-ALS Engine arrive on scene.
• You can watch as the emergency personnel work as a team to quickly and efficiently:
  • Check the patient’s pulse
  • Prep the heart monitor
  • Take notes for the hospital ER
  • Administer CPR
  • Place Advanced Airway
  • Prepare the Defibrillator
  • Administer Oxygen
  • Administer an IV
  • Deliver a VF Shock
  • Drill needle into bone for large bore fluid access
  • Administer EZ-10 Vasopressin
  • Continue uninterrupted CPR
  • Prep cardiac medications
  • Obtain patient medical history for ER
  • Prep a gurney

Within 23 minutes of the cardiac arrest, the patient resumes a state of spontaneous circulation and is taken to the hospital. Without the BLS and ACLS training and knowledge of these first-responders, this man likely would not have made it.

While working toward your ACLS certification through AMRI’s convenient online program, you can now also achieve your BLS certification. Anyone with a current AMRI account is eligible to add this online course to their shopping cart. Learn more about AMRI’s BLS training module here.