By Dr. Mai Nguyen
Why did you do the course?
ACLS is a mandatory course for most clinicians that needs to be updated, ideally every 2 years. ACLS for the Experienced Provider (EP) allows for re-certification of ACLS and also allows for a more detailed discussion of the conditions surrounding cardiac arrest. ACLP EP is much more applicable for emergency doctors as it involves a lot more discussion surrounding patient management.
Who is the course aimed at?
The course is aimed towards all physicians, especially those who have an interest in or who have a lot of experience in managing cardiac arrests in the hospital setting. You must do a 2-day ACLS course before you are eligible to attend this re-certification course.
Give a brief overview of the course
Pre-course: online scenarios and test questions similar to ACLS pre-course. Course centers usually provide practice going through different ACLS scenarios, in preparation for a mega-code assessment on the day.
This is a one day course broken up in two parts. The morning focuses on assessment of Basic Life Support and ACLS (mega code). Candidates are expected to be prepared for assessment before attending the course and they must pass the morning session in order to advance to the afternoon. Note: skills such as using the defibrillator are not taught on this course so attend the pre-course! The afternoon focuses on discussion of different scenarios surrounding cardiac arrest and steps in management following identifying the H’s or T’s that are responsible. Cardiology ANPs and consultants were present to discuss the systematic approach to identifying and treating the underlying causes of cardiac arrests. This ultimately improves outcomes in complex cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, toxicology, and other emergencies through the use of case based scenarios to move beyond the algorithms.
Would you recommend the course?
Absolutely. It is a nice alternative to doing the basic ACLS re-certification. Once you pass the mega-code in the morning you move on to a relaxed discussion of scenarios in the afternoon. This is much more applicable and beneficial for those of us working in the ED.
When is the course usually run and how much did it cost?
The Mater ran an EP course in April 2015 but is available at various sites in Ireland. The cost was 250 euro.
Check out the link for EP courses coming up:
https://www.irishheart.ie/iopen24/courses-upcoming-acls-t-9_256_248.html
Where can we find more information?
http://www.irishheart.ie/iopen24/courses-healthcare-professionals-t-9_256_246.html
Published on November 30, 2015.
Mai Nguyen is a Year 3 Core Specialist Trainee in Emergency Medicine, Mater University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
