Many institutions now require current certification in basic life support (BLS) or advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) for anesthesia technicians and other allied health professionals. This chapter summarizes the BLS and ACLS certification process.

In the United States, the American Heart Association (AHA) produces national guidelines and training materials for the emergency care of victims of potentially life-threatening conditions. These guidelines cover everything from basic first aid to ACLS and are divided into various courses to supplement the training of laypersons and health care providers. Some of the available courses include the following:

Successful completion of one of these approved courses results in certification and issuance of a “card” that certifies that the individual has completed an AHA-approved course. Each course carries a separate certification. The certification card is time limited and must be renewed every 2 years. The BLS course requires approximately 4 hours of classroom time. ACLS courses are usually administered over 2 days and include a written and practical exam. For those who hold current ACLS certification, a “renewal” course can be taken that is administered in a single day. ACLS courses may also be administered on-line; however, an in-person skills test is also required.

The core subject matter of both the ACLS and BLS courses revolves around resuscitation “guidelines” developed by the AHA. The guidelines describe the recommended initial treatment protocols for victims of cardiac arrest, cardiac arrhythmias, acute coronary syndrome, and stroke. They include recommendations for the specific technique to perform skills and the timing and sequence of initial treatments. In particular, the AHA guidelines are known worldwide for specifying the current recommended technique for performing CPR, including the depth and rate of chest compressions and the timing of ventilations.

The AHA convenes a scientific advisory panel to review the available international scientific literature to develop evidence-based guidelines.
Revisions to the guidelines based on the science review are published every 5 years (2000, 2010, 2015, etc.) in the journal Circulation. New training materials and updates to courses occur early in the following year. In order to remain familiar with the most current guidelines, health care providers should review new guidelines when they are published. When new guidelines are announced, many certificate holders choose to renew their certification with another course that covers the new guidelines, even if their current card does not expire for some time.

Outside of the United States, several international organizations develop resuscitation guidelines including the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) and the Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation (ANZCOR). The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) provides a forum for coordination for resuscitation guideline development around the globe; however, the guidelines developed for different countries can be slightly different.