What is the difference between BLS and ACLS

There is always a growing demand for ACLS certification in Miami, FL. As a healthcare professional, you are likely worried whether you’ll be able to fit ACLS training into your daily schedule. Owing to flexible schedules of ACLS classes, it is possible to fit the in-depth course into your hectic life. But here we will discuss the differences and similarities between Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).

What is the difference between BLS and ACLS?

Whether you need ACLS or BLS, depending on which you are to acquire a certain number of CEUs, it is important to understand the key differences between the two sets of skills. The main difference is the scope of application and the person qualified to administer these skills.

Namely, anyone can become qualified to administer BLS and CPR, but ACLS requires a more in-depth approach, recognizing a variety of symptoms and being able to deal with them.

Do I need both BLS and ACLS?

Do I need both BLS and ACLS

If you are, for instance, a teacher, coach, personal trainer or safety officer, you will likely only need to know how to administer CPR. This is because you may find yourself in a situation where you need to provide a quick response to an emergency situation.

BLS skills, on the other hand, extend beyond CPR alone. For people working in rescue professions, BLS certification is mandatory. As far as healthcare professionals go, the certification that they need depends on various factors.

Healthcare professionals are required to be BLS and/or ACLS-certified as part of their continuing education (CE). Depending on the work you do and your future ambitions and aspirations, you might only need BLS. However, in order to become ACLS certified, BLS is the mandatory stepping stone.

BLS is one of the requirements for ACLS, as is formal medical background required to understand and administrer this set of sophisticated, advanced skills. In other words, you need BLS certification prior to obtaining ACLS certification. The next step is pursuing ACLS recertification every two years.

Is CPR included in ACLS?

In a manner of speaking, yes, because ACLS builds on BLS, which boils down to administering CPR. In other words, BLS is the foundation required for ACLS and anyone certified to perform ACLS will have had the skills to perform CPR. However, the list of algorithms covered by ACLS is longer and far more complex:

  • Cardiac Arrest
  • Post-Cardiac Arrest
  • Acute Coronary Syndromes
  • Pulseless Electrical Activity (PEA)/Asystole
  • Ventricular Fibrillation (VF)/Pulseless Ventricular Tachycardia (V
  • Bradycardia
  • Tachycardia
  • Respiratory Arrest
  • Suspected Stroke
  • Opioid Emergency

For this reason, ACLS requires extensive knowledge and ability to recognize various scenarios, causes and treatment methods. BLS, as the name implies, is basic and CPR is one of its main methods of assisting a person in case of a medical emergency. Naturally, depending on the patient’s condition, this is often not enough, and that is where ACLS techniques come in.

Receiving ACLS certification in Miami, FL has never been easier

With Advanced Healthcare Education by your side, there is no room for stress or waste of time and energy during the commute. You get the complete classroom experience that will enable you to learn and genuinely enjoy the learning process.

True to the goals of the American Heart Association, it is our main purpose to promote our nation’s cardiovascular health. Our contribution to achieving this goal is helping healthcare professionals learn to take swift action when the clock is ticking and a patient’s life is on the line.