When you sign up for the full ACLS or PALS provider education/certification course, you will be sent the most recent provider manual that you can use to study from or as a reference. The book and written instructions regarding your clinical skill documentation will be mailed to the address you provide at the time of registration on the following business day.
Because online recertification does not require you to buy training materials, you may borrow ACLS or PALS materials from friends or from a medical library. We are trying to limit your expenses and make things as easy as possible for you. As a service, materials are available for you to order when you register to take an online ACLS or PALS examination, but you are not required to purchase these materials.
One of my colleagues expressed the belief that ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation should be treated the same way. This does not square with my knowledge of electrophysiology and pharmacology. Please comment. We wholeheartedly agree with your approach of beginning with basic cardiac electrophysiology; electrical therapy and pharmacology.
Your authority to practice is based on your state’s EMS laws. Most EMS systems (local, state or regional) issue system-wide standard operating procedures (SOP’s). These function in many ways like a prospective prescription from the system medical authority authorizing treatment(s) based on defined circumstances. ACLS algorithms were developed as educational tools, not prospective standing orders. They are not a prescription. Thus, it is essential that you practice according to the guidelines established by your medical authority. If you have questions regarding your system’s standing medical orders (SMO’s), a fact-finding meeting with your medical authority (e.g. your Project Medical Director) may be useful for EMS leadership and field personnel.
My clinic administrator stated that if we are ACLS certified, and simply provide care exactly as listed in the ACLS algorithms, we will be protected from medical malpractice suits. Is this correct? The Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) program is a training program. The “algorithms” were developed to assist users in remembering a large body of information. Simply being able to regurgitate dozens of clinical interventions does not assure proper care. Proper treatment of critically ill patients requires an understanding of anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, therapeutics, etc. Blindly following a list rather than developing a treatment plan based on the patient’s condition might result in suboptimal care. Furthermore, medical science is dynamic. Practitioners have a duty to stay reasonably informed about current literature and changes in professional practice. While ACLS training may provide the tools needed to support good practice, no plastic card provides protection from tort litigation based on improper care.
