Overview:

The Pediatric Advanced Life Support Course teaches the importance of a systemic approach to assessing, identifying and treating emergency situations in children. Participants learn about basic life support, following PALS algorithms and practicing resuscitation skills in order to deliver effective pediatric care. The course is designed for healthcare providers involved in the management of respiratory and/or cardiovascular emergencies and cardiopulmonary arrest in children.

Audience:

Healthcare providers who direct or manage respiratory and/or cardiovascular emergencies and cardiopulmonary arrest in pediatric patients; personnel in emergency response, emergency medicine, intensive care; and critical care units such as physicians, nurses, and paramedics

Learning Objectives:

• Perform high-quality pediatric BLS and resuscitation care in accordance with AHA guidelines, including infant and child CPR, AED/defibrillator use, and post–cardiac arrest management.
• Apply a systematic approach to pediatric patient assessment and decision-making, including the Pediatric Assessment Triangle, primary and secondary assessments, and continuous reassessment using the evaluate–identify–intervene sequence.
• Recognize and manage pediatric respiratory emergencies and shock, differentiating distress versus failure and compensated versus decompensated shock, and providing appropriate early interventions, airway support, oxygenation, ventilation, vascular access, and fluid therapy.
• Identify and treat pediatric arrhythmias and function effectively on a high-performance resuscitation team, demonstrating effective team dynamics, role clarity, and appropriate management of stable and unstable dysrhythmias.

Agenda for HeartCode® PALS Hands-On Skills Session

Student-instructor ratio 6:1; approximately 5 hours 30 minutes