Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider (ACLS) Course

Guidelines 2000 Roll-Out Workshops (Suggested Agenda)

Welcome, Introduction, CPR-AED Skills Review: 15 minutes

 

  • Welcome and Introduction of Faculty: 5 minutes
  • Overview of ACLS Workshop Agenda: 5 minutes
  • Review CPR-AED Skills Checklists: 5 minutes
    • This skills review / teaching/testing goes throughout the wprkshop
    • Review (demonstrate?) how learners will be pulled out from other sessions.
    • Course director may develop other approaches, such as a 4-hour workshop with one hour spent on CPR-AED skills at start of workshop).

 

(Remain in Plenary Session)

Updating the ACLS Provider Course to the Guidelines 2000 (Plenary) 45-50 minutes

1. Resource Review: 5 minutes

  • Resource materials everyone should have: Guidelines 2000 for CPR and ECC, 2000 Handbook of ECC
  • What is coming soon: ACLS 2000Provider Course Manual and Workbook; ACLS 2000 Instructor’s Manual; Textbook of ACLS: for Beginning and Experienced Providers.

2. Videotape "Guidelines 2000 Round Table Discussion": 35 minutes

  • Moderated by Mary Fran Hazinski. The science editors and the subcommittee chairs for Pediatric Resuscitation, Basic Life Support, Program Administration, and ACLS discuss what they consider the major new guidelines.
  • Discussion, audiences response?

NOTE: This part can be done in a general session of the Update.

3. PowerPoint Slide Presentation: How to Update the ACLS Provider Course: 15 minutes

  • Review the CD supplied by the AHA containing a PowerPoint presentation on the additions needed in the ACLS Provider Course. Discuss how this presentation could best be used by the instructors at the next ACLS course (either for instructors or providers).
  • Begin to review the new information to add to each of the 10 core teaching cases. One such list is supplied (see enclosed). The instructors are free to add to this list, to move items around to other cases, as long as the substance of the guideline is preserved.

 

Break: go to locations for the 3 small group discussions

 

Small Group Discussions/Rotations : 45 minutes each, 2 hours 15 minutes

 

1. New Drugs – New Devices: 45 minutes

  • A review of new drugs for ACLS (see enclosed list): know how? when? why? watch out!
  • A review of the new devices for ACLS (see enclosed list): know how? when? why? watch out!
  • Homework: review how the Handbook and the Guidelines discuss the new drugs and new devices. Look up where specific drug and device topics are discussed; become familiar with the Guidelines and the Handbook.
  • Interesting exercise: read all the places where amiodarone is discussed in the Guidelines and presented in the algorithms. Is this good preparation for ACLS instructors facing questions and answers at their next class? Extra credit:: compare Guideline statements with advertisements for amiodarone—how closely did the ads reflect the science?

2. New Algorithms - New Cases: 45 minutes

  • Review, as a group, the changes in the ACLS algorithms. (Instructors will increase value of this by use of overhead projections of algorithms asking learners to indicate changes; could be done with handouts, or with personal books.)
  • Review the 10 core ACLS cases in more depth than the PowerPoint slide presentation. The algorithms that go with each case contain either different treatments, or different overall approaches. For several cases the focus and emphasis has changed dramatically, even when the treatments in the algorithms are unchanged.

3. Instructor Improvement: Practicing Case-Based Teaching: 45 minutes

  • Discuss case-based teaching techniques; share favorite "trick" or unique approach
  • Practice composing new cases that incorporate the new guidelines.
  • Assign a teaching topic to each small group member (use 3 x 5 cards with one topic per card; deal a card to each group member; give 3-5 min quiet prep time; each learner attempts to teach their topic using case-based approach in 3-4 min; spend 2-4 min with group members providing feedback ("Here is what you did right; here is what you did wrong; here is something to do to improve.")

 

 

ACLS Matrix to Guide the Group Rotations

Topics

Room/ Instructor

45
Minutes

45 Minutes

45 Minutes

1. New drugs – New devices

TBA

Group A

Group C

Group B

2. New algorithms - New cases

TBA

Group B

Group A

Group C

3. Instructor Improvement - Practicing case-based teaching

TBA

Group C

Group B

Group A

 

 

Reassemble in Plenary Session 10-15 minutes

 

Final topics to review

  • Discuss how to best conduct the testing station for the skills of CPR and AED use
  • Discuss how to use the written annotated ACLS examination
  • Open session: questions and answers
  • Suggestions for upcoming roll-outs

 


Student/Instructor Ratios

The rollout workshops should be conducted, whenever practical, at a 8:1 student-instructor ratio and a 4:1 student-to-manikin ratio. More than 8 students per 1 instructor would severely compromise the experience. For example, in the breakout session where students practice teaching techniques, they will receive at most 5 minutes per student.

 


New ACLS Equipment for Rollout

1. The 1997 ACLS Instructor’s Manual presents Item E (page 6-21 to 6-22) and Item F (page 6-23 to 6-25). These provide lists of the equipment recommended for teaching the 10 ACLS Core Cases. The ACLS Update Workshops do not require all of the items listed. Workshop directors, however, should review these pages to determine the equipment items that might be requested.

2. Audio-visual Equipment

For general use and communication, each rollout session should have

  • Video projector with screen or large-screen TV for smaller groups
  • VCR
  • Video projector or overhead projector
  • Laptop (if video projector is used)
  • Tool kit from ACLS Instructor’s Manual
  • A large room capable of holding all attendees; plus access to 3 or 4 breakout areas (could be in one large room or in separate rooms/areas)

3. Dynamic Rhythm Display

Some method to display dynamic rhythms (moving):

  • Videotape that displays rhythm across the screen (monitor shots from Sim-Man)
  • Defibrillator monitor screen, with attachments to a rhythm simulator
  • Other methods are acceptable

4. New Medical Devices

The following devices are new for the Guidelines 2000:

  • Laryngeal mask airway
  • Combitube
  • Esophageal detector devices
  • End-tidal CO2 qualitative detectors
  • Capnometers
  • Capnographs
  • Tracheal tube holders (commercial)
  • Biphasic waveform defibrillators, provided the manufacturer has provided documentation of clinical equivalence with comparable monophasic waveforms

SEE ALSO: ACLS: Advanced Cardiac Life Support
PBLS (Pediatric Basic Life Support)

Adult BLS (Basic Life Support),
Ethical Aspects of CPR and ECC,
Post-Resuscitation, Acute Coronary Syndromes and CVA
and PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support)


Return to the ACUTE CARE, INC. home page

 

 

   
P.O. Box 4130, Des Moines, IA 50333   800.729.7813   e-mail: staff@acutecare.com