Cardiovascular disease or CVD kills more than 17 million people every year. The causes could be plenty – unhealthy lifestyle choices, poor diet, obesity, lack of adequate physical exercise and so on. But we have all the reasons to be optimistic due to two major reasons:
1. CVDs can be prevented with better awareness and by making healthy lifestyle changes
2. Better access to medical care can save many lives
That certainly implies that the world needs more medical professionals who are well-equipped with knowledge and training for taking care of CVD patients. These trained individuals can handle emergencies to save lives. The American Heart Association provides certifications to teach these crucial life saving techniques to individuals.
INSCOL, a certified American Heart Association partner, offers three different certifications under the program. From identifying the symptoms of cardiac arrest to saving lives in the most critical stages, the course trains the students in different levels of cardiac life support skills.
The Courses
1. Basic Life Support (BLS):
This is a classroom-based course for healthcare professionals to recognize several life-threatening emergencies. The training involves teaching how to use an AED, providing CPR to victims of all ages and safely relieving the symptoms of choking. Bag-mask techniques are also taught along with rescue breathing for adult, child and infant. The course can be completed in just one day and there is a written and skill assessment exam post completion.
2. Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS):
A 2-day course for health professionals, the course covers training for airway, acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and stroke management; as well as the recognition and early management of peri-arrest conditions. This course emphasizes the importance of Basic Life Support while encouraging effective team interaction and communication during resuscitation.
3. Pediatric Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (PACLS):
The 2-day course provides training for treating cardiovascular emergencies in infants, children, and adolescents. Using a scenario-based team approach, the course covers key changes in pediatric advanced life support. This course is designed to make health professionals adept at identifying and handling cardiac emergencies in kids.
All three of the above-mentioned courses are conducted in five Indian cities that include Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Kochi, Bangalore and Chennai.
