Advanced Life Support (ALS) is a set of life-saving protocols and skills that extend Basic Life Support to further support the circulation and provide an open airway and adequate ventilation (breathing).
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These include:
ALS is a treatment consensus for cardiopulmonary resuscitation in cardiac arrest and related medical problems, as agreed in Europe by the European Resuscitation Council, most recently in 2010.
2010 revisions include:
ALS assumes that basic life support (bag-mask administration of oxygen and chest compressions) are administered.
The main algorithm of ALS, which is invoked when actual cardiac arrest has been established, relies on the monitoring of the electrical activity of the heart on a cardiac monitor. Depending on the type of cardiac arrhythmia, defibrillation is applied, and medication is administered. Oxygen is administered and endotracheal intubation may be attempted to secure the airway. At regular intervals, the effect of the treatment on the heart rhythm, as well as the presence of cardiac output, is assessed.
Medication that may be administered may include adrenaline (epinephrine), amiodarone, atropine, bicarbonate, calcium, potassium and magnesium. Saline or colloids may be administered to increase the circulating volume.
While CPR is given (either manually, or through automated equipment such as AutoPulse), members of the team consider eight forms of potentially reversible causes for cardiac arrest, commonly abbreviated as "6Hs & 5Ts" according to the new 2005 AHA ACLS [1][2][3][4]. Note these reversible causes are usually taught and remembered as 4Hs and 4Ts[5]—including hypoglycaemia and acidosis with hyper/hypokalaemia and 'metabolic causes' and omitting trauma from the T's as this is redundant with hypovolaemia—this simplification aids recall during resuscitation.
As of December 2005, Advanced Life Support guidelines have changed significantly. A major new worldwide consensus has been sought based upon the best available scientific evidence. The ratio of compressions to ventilation's is now recommended as 30:2 for adults, to produce higher coronary and cerebral perfusion pressures. Defibrillation is now administered as a single shock, each followed immediately by two minutes of CPR before rhythm is re-assessed (five cycles of CPR). See Advanced Cardiac Life Support
ALS also covers various conditions related to cardiac arrest, such as cardiac arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia), poisoning and effectively all conditions that may lead to cardiac arrest if untreated, apart from the truly surgical emergencies (which are covered by Advanced Trauma Life Support).
Many healthcare providers are trained to administer some form of ALS.
In out-of-hospital settings trained emergency medical technicians, paramedics or medics typically provide this level of care. Canadian paramedics may be certified in either ALS (Advance Care Paramedic-ACP) or in Basic Life Support (Primary Care Paramedic-PCP) (see paramedics in Canada). Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are often skilled in ALS, although they may employ slightly modified version of the Medical algorithm. In the United States, Paramedic level services are referred to as Advanced Life Support (ALS). Services staffed by basic EMTs are referred to as Basic Life Support (BLS), as those staffed by EMT-Intermediates are called Intermediate Life Support (ILS). In the Republic of Ireland, Advanced Life Support (ALS) is provided by an Advanced paramedic. Advanced Paramedic (AP) is the highest clinical level (level 6) in pre-hospital care in the Republic of Ireland based on the standards set down by PHECC, the Irish regulatory body for pre-hospital care and ambulance services. This terminology extends beyond emergency cardiac care to describe all capabilities of the providers.
In hospitals, ALS is usually given by a team of physicians and nurses. These cardiac arrest teams generally include junior doctors from various specialties such as anesthetics, general or internal medicine.
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