ALS Course

Lesson 1 • Legal and Ethical Foundations

Addresses consent, do-not-resuscitate directives, and duty-of-care principles. Ensures learners apply clinical skills within appropriate ethical boundaries.

Lesson 2 • The ALS Chain of Survival

Defines each link from early recognition to post-resuscitation care. Frames the course structure around sequential, time-critical actions.

Lesson 3 • Cardiac Arrest Pathophysiology

Covers the cellular and systemic events leading to cardiac arrest. Anchors all subsequent intervention logic in physiological cause and effect.

Lesson 1 • CPR Feedback and Quality Monitoring

Introduces real-time feedback devices and physiological monitoring during CPR. Enables learners to self-correct technique using objective data.

Lesson 2 • Rescuer Fatigue and Rotation

Addresses compression quality degradation over time and structured rotation protocols. Ensures sustained CPR quality across prolonged resuscitation events.

Lesson 3 • Minimising No-Flow Time

Focuses on reducing pauses before, during, and after defibrillation. Directly links compression fraction to survival outcomes.

Lesson 4 • Ventilation During CPR

Covers rescue breathing ratios, tidal volume targets, and avoiding hyperventilation. Balances oxygenation with minimising compression interruptions.

Lesson 1 • Shockable Arrest Rhythms

Identifies ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia with precision. Mastery here directly triggers the defibrillation pathway.

Lesson 2 • Non-Shockable Arrest Rhythms

Covers asystole and pulseless electrical activity recognition and their distinct management. Differentiates these rhythms to prevent inappropriate defibrillation.

Lesson 3 • ECG Fundamentals for ALS

Reviews waveform components, intervals, and lead placement relevant to arrest scenarios. Provides the interpretive baseline required for all rhythm-based decisions.

Lesson 4 • Systematic Rhythm Interpretation Method

Instills a stepwise approach to rhythm analysis under time pressure. Reduces interpretation errors during high-stress resuscitation scenarios.

Lesson 1 • Special Defibrillation Scenarios

Addresses implanted devices, wet patients, and medication patches affecting defibrillation. Prepares learners for real-world complications during electrical therapy.

Lesson 2 • AED and Manual Defibrillator Use

Covers operation of both automated and manual defibrillators in clinical settings. Ensures competency across device types encountered in practice.

Lesson 3 • Defibrillation Principles

Explains the electrical mechanism by which defibrillation terminates VF and pulseless VT. Grounds energy selection and pad placement decisions in physiology.

Lesson 4 • Synchronised Cardioversion

Teaches R-wave synchronisation for unstable tachyarrhythmias to avoid R-on-T phenomenon. Distinguishes cardioversion from defibrillation in indication and technique.

Lesson 1 • Airway Assessment and Positioning

Covers rapid airway assessment and manual positioning techniques to restore patency. Establishes the first-line response before any device is introduced.

Lesson 2 • Bag-Mask Ventilation

Develops one-person and two-person bag-mask technique with correct seal and volume. Remains the primary ventilation method before advanced airway placement.

Lesson 3 • Supraglottic Airway Devices

Covers insertion, confirmation, and limitations of supraglottic airway devices. Provides a rapid alternative when intubation is not immediately feasible.

Lesson 4 • Endotracheal Intubation in ALS

Addresses intubation technique, confirmation, and ongoing tube management during resuscitation. Represents the definitive airway when performed by trained providers.

Lesson 1 • Vascular Access During Resuscitation

Establishes IV and IO access priorities and techniques during active resuscitation. Access route determines drug delivery speed and reliability.

Lesson 2 • Drugs for Peri-Arrest Conditions

Covers atropine, adenosine, magnesium, and calcium for specific peri-arrest rhythms. Expands pharmacological response beyond the arrest algorithm.

Lesson 3 • Thrombolytics and Reversal Agents

Addresses fibrinolytic therapy for suspected pulmonary embolism arrest and anticoagulant reversal. Prepares learners for pharmacological management of specific reversible causes.

Lesson 4 • Vasopressors in Cardiac Arrest

Covers epinephrine dosing, timing, and evidence for use in shockable and non-shockable rhythms. Vasopressors are the primary pharmacological intervention in arrest.

Lesson 1 • The 4Hs Framework

Covers hypoxia, hypovolaemia, hypo/hyperkalaemia, and hypothermia as reversible arrest causes. Systematic search for these causes runs concurrently with resuscitation.

Lesson 2 • Drowning and Asphyxial Arrest

Adapts the standard algorithm for hypoxic arrest from drowning and airway obstruction. Ventilation takes priority over defibrillation in these scenarios.

Lesson 3 • The 4Ts Framework

Addresses tension pneumothorax, tamponade, thrombosis, and toxins as reversible causes. Each requires a distinct, time-sensitive intervention during active resuscitation.

Lesson 4 • Traumatic Cardiac Arrest

Modifies the arrest algorithm for haemorrhagic and obstructive causes in trauma. Learners prioritise haemorrhage control and reversible cause correction over standard CPR.

Lesson 1 • Targeted Temperature Management

Explains the evidence and protocol for temperature control in comatose post-arrest patients. Reduces secondary neurological injury from reperfusion and inflammation.

Lesson 2 • Debriefing and System Improvement

Structures hot and cold debriefs to extract learning from resuscitation events. Converts individual cases into system-level quality improvement.

Lesson 3 • Neuroprognostication After Arrest

Introduces multimodal assessment tools used to predict neurological recovery. Guides family communication and withdrawal-of-care decisions.

Lesson 4 • Immediate Post-ROSC Assessment

Covers the rapid ABCDE assessment following return of spontaneous circulation. Identifies immediate threats that can cause re-arrest if unaddressed.