Pediatric Advanced Life Support
Encyclopedia
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) is a 2 day (with an additional self study day) American Heart Association
training program. The goal of the course is to aid the pediatric
healthcare provider in developing the knowledge and skills necessary to efficiently and effectively manage critically ill infants and children, resulting in improved outcomes. Professional healthcare providers use PALS during the stabilization and transportation phases of a pediatric emergency
, in or out of hospital.
Skills taught include recognition and treatment of infants and children at risk for cardiopulmonary arrest; the systematic approach to pediatric assessment; effective respiratory management; defibrillation
and synchronized cardioversion; intraosseous access and fluid bolus administration; and effective resuscitation team dynamics.
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas...
training program. The goal of the course is to aid the pediatric
Pediatrics
Pediatrics or paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician or paediatrician...
healthcare provider in developing the knowledge and skills necessary to efficiently and effectively manage critically ill infants and children, resulting in improved outcomes. Professional healthcare providers use PALS during the stabilization and transportation phases of a pediatric emergency
Medical emergency
A medical emergency is an injury or illness that is acute and poses an immediate risk to a person's life or long term health. These emergencies may require assistance from another person, who should ideally be suitably qualified to do so, although some of these emergencies can be dealt with by the...
, in or out of hospital.
Skills taught include recognition and treatment of infants and children at risk for cardiopulmonary arrest; the systematic approach to pediatric assessment; effective respiratory management; defibrillation
Defibrillation
Defibrillation is a common treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia. Defibrillation consists of delivering a therapeutic dose of electrical energy to the affected heart with a device called a defibrillator...
and synchronized cardioversion; intraosseous access and fluid bolus administration; and effective resuscitation team dynamics.
See also
- Advanced Pediatric Life SupportAdvanced Pediatric Life SupportAdvanced Pediatric Life Support is a program created by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Emergency Physicians to teach health care providers how to take care of sick children.-Pediatric assessment triangle:...
(APLS) - Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)