AHA ACLS Provider study guide
AHA ACLS Provider · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The AHA ACLS Provider course is the American Heart Association's advanced life support training program for healthcare professionals who either direct or participate in the management of cardiopulmonary arrest and other cardiovascular emergencies. It builds on a current BLS foundation and moves into team-based resuscitation: recognizing and interpreting rhythms on the ECG, delivering high-quality CPR with effective airway and ventilation support, running the cardiac arrest algorithms for VF/pVT, PEA and asystole, managing bradycardia and tachycardia, and applying pharmacology and electrical therapy appropriately. The AHA ACLS Provider study guide has 6 sections and about 1,845 words.
01Rhythm Recognition and ECG Interpretation
Rate → regularity → P waves → PR interval → QRS width → relationship of P to QRS. Candidates lose points by jumping straight to a diagnosis.
311 words, about 2 min02High-Quality BLS and Airway Management
Depth at least 5 cm (2 in) and no more than 6 cm (2.4 in) in the adult, roughly one-third of the anterior-posterior chest diameter. Full recoil - do not lean on the chest.
327 words, about 2 min03Cardiac Arrest Algorithms: VF/pVT, PEA, Asystole
The arrest algorithm splits at the rhythm check. Shockable (VF/pVT): start CPR, charge while compressions continue, deliver one shock, resume compressions immediately for 2 minutes, then recheck.
297 words, about 1 min04Bradycardia and Tachycardia Algorithms
Decide first whether the patient is unstable - hypotension, altered mental status, ischemic chest pain, acute heart failure, or shock. If stable, monitor and identify the cause.
293 words, about 1 min05Pharmacology and Electrical Therapy
Epinephrine: 1 mg IV/IO of the 1:10,000 (0.1 mg/mL) concentration every 3–5 minutes in arrest; 2–10 mcg/min infusion for bradycardia or shock. The 1:1000 concentration is for IM anaphylaxis, not arrest.
303 words, about 2 min06Post-Cardiac Arrest Care and Team Dynamics
Support oxygenation and ventilation: titrate oxygen to an SpO₂ of 92–98% and avoid hyperoxia, and target a PaCO₂ of 35–45 mmHg - do not hyperventilate. Support blood pressure with fluids and vasopressors to a mean arterial pressure of about 65 mmHg or higher , guided by bedside monitoring and lactate.
314 words, about 2 min