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The material taught in advanced cardiac life support courses (ACLS Courses) enables people to save lives.

Designed to teach the knowledge and skills needed to evaluate and manage respiratory emergency, cardiac arrest, pre-arrest emergencies (including bradycardia, tachycardia and acute coronary syndromes) and stroke, ACLS Certification is required for most healthcare practitioners focusing on adult patients in today’s medical environment. However, despite the widespread prevalence of ACLS Certification among adult healthcare practitioners, we don’t always hear about the success stories that result from successfully executing upon the material learned in ACLS Courses.

Below are four real-world examples of how the principles of advanced cardiac life support have been successfully utilized to save lives in emergency situations involving critically ill or injured adults.

1. An ambulance paramedic performed cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on a man who collapsed during a workout at an Oregon fitness studio. The paramedic was off duty and working out at the club when he noticed a commotion on the second floor. He found an adult man lying unconscious and not breathing, with little or no pulse. The paramedic began CPR, while the fitness center’s personnel responded with an automatic external defibrillator and called 911.

2. A college football player took a blow to the head late during a pre-season scrimmage. Although he walked off the field unassisted, the player later vomited on the sidelines, signaling a potential sign of concussion. The team’s trainer immediately called 911; upon arrival to the emergency room, doctors performed a complete neurological examination and determined the player had suffered a subdural hematoma.

3. An elderly woman complained of sudden numbness on the left side of her body and appeared slightly disoriented to her in-home caregiver. Recognizing possible signs of stroke, the home health aide performed the rapid stroke assessment protocol, evaluating the patient for facial droop, arm drift and speech abnormalities, and immediately called 911.

4. A North Carolina paramedic found himself in an unusual position when he was forced to save his own partner who suffered a heart attack on the job. The two paramedics were in between calls when the 47-year-old female EMT reported feeling sweaty and nauseous and an abnormal heart rate. Her partner called for another ambulance and began CPR. When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, doctors lauded her partner’s advanced cardiac life support efforts and said the swift response saved the paramedic’s life.

An up-to-date ACLS Certification is critical in assisting patients in a variety of healthcare settings, including pre-hospital and hospital environments. Healthcare professionals can easily obtain or renew ACLS credentials by taking an ACLS Online Course or in-person ACLS Course.

Health Ed Solutions’ online ACLS course was designed with the requirements of healthcare professionals seeking initial certification or recertification at foremost importance. 

The information included in this article is based on the 2020 guidelines for CPR, first aid and advanced cardiovascular care. Read more about how the 2020 guidelines impact ACLS training online.