Table of content(s)
- Introduction
- What does ACLS mean in medical terms?
- Understanding the Core ACLS Terms and Acronyms
- ACLS vs. BLS: Key Differences
- Conclusion
List of ACLS Acronyms and Abbreviations You Need to Know
Are you on your path to advancing your career? If you have begun the journey of pursuing your advanced cardiovascular life support certification, you are already aware of the list of abbreviations you will need to know to pass your exam.
There are several ACLS medical abbreviations, and luckily, most of them are general. However, there are some that might be new to you. That’s why you need a list handy to pass the exam successfully. If you are taking your ACLS exam online, having this list open can be a major time saver. This will help you get certified quickly and reduce the time flipping the course material back and forth. Here are the key ACLS acronyms that you need to know.
What does ACLS mean in medical terms?
So what does ACLS stand for? ACLS medical acronym is advanced cardiovascular life support. It refers to a set of clinical guidelines used by healthcare professionals to treat and manage patients experiencing severe cardiovascular emergencies, such as stroke. ACLS includes advanced interventions such as drug administration and defibrillation that help improve patient outcomes during emergencies.
What are the abbreviations and acronyms for ACLS?
Below are the ACLS acronyms that you might come across during your ACLS course:
ABCD: Airway, breathing, circulation, differential diagnosis
ACE: Angiotensin-converting enzyme
ACLS: Advanced cardiovascular life support
ACS: Acute coronary syndrome
AED: Automated External Defibrillator
AHA: American Heart Association
AHF: Acute heart failure
AICD: Automated Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator
AMI: Acute myocardial infarction
AV: Atrioventricular
BLS: Basic Life Support
BP: Blood pressure
CAB: Circulation, airway, breathing
CHF: Congestive heart failure
CPR: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
CPSS: Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale
CT: Computed tomography
DNAR: Do not attempt resuscitation.
ECG: Electrocardiogram
ECPR: Extracorporeal CPR
ED: Emergency Department
EMS: Emergency Medical Services
ET: Endotracheal
FDA: Food and Drug Administration
FAST: Facial droop, arm drift, speech, time
GI: Gastrointestinal
ICU: Intensive Care Unit
IHCA: in-hospital cardiac arrest
Intravenous lipid emulsion
IN: Intranasal
IM: Intramuscular
IO: Intraosseous
IV: Intravenous
LMA: Laryngeal Mask Airway)
LV: Left ventricle
mA: Milliamperes
MACE: Major adverse cardiac events
MAP: Mean arterial pressure
MI: Myocardial infarction
mmHG: millimeters of mercury
NIH: National Institutes of Health
NIHSS: National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale
NINDS: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
NPA: Nasopharyngeal airway
NSTEMI: Non-ST segment myocardial infarction
OHCA: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
OPA (Oropharyngeal Airway)
PAD: Public Access Defibrillation
PCI: Percutaneous coronary intervention)
PE: Pulmonary embolism
PEA: Pulseless electrical activity
PETCO2: Partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide
PPCI: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention
PSVT: Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia
PT: Prothrombin time
PVCs: Premature ventricular contractions
PVT: Pulseless ventricular tachycardia
ROSC: Return of spontaneous circulation
RRT: Rapid Response Team
RV: Right Ventricle
SBP: systolic blood pressure
STEMI: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction
SVO2: Central venous oxygen saturation
SVT: Supraventricular tachycardia
TCP: Transcutaneous pacing
TIMI: Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction
TTM: targeted temperature management
UA: Unstable angina
VF/V-Fib: Ventricular fibrillation
VT: Ventricular tachycardia
Read more: Fibrinolytic Drug: Uses, Benefits & Side Effects in ACLS
Understanding the Core ACLS Terms and Acronyms
Advanced cardiovascular life support is a set of clinical interventions crucial for treating cardiac arrest, stroke, and other medical emergencies. Here are the core ACLS acronym medical terms.
- ACLS: ACLS abbreviation is advanced care life support and refers to a set of clinical guidelines and protocols to manage severe cardiovascular emergencies.
- BLS: Basic life support is the foundation of lifesaving care. It focuses on CPR, AED usage, and airway management.
- CPR: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a lifesaving technique beneficial in situations when the heart stops beating. This involves rescue breaths and chest compressions.
- AED: An automated external defibrillator is a portable device that diagnoses cardiac arrhythmias and delivers electric shock whenever needed.
- VF: Ventricular fibrillation is a dangerous heart rhythm that causes unorganized electrical activity in the ventricles. This condition needs immediate attention.
- VT: This is a rapid heart rhythm that starts in the lower chambers of the heart. This may cause a cardiac arrest when not treated well.
- ROSC: The return of spontaneous circulation is a condition in which electrical activity is present but fails to generate a pulse. This needs advanced resuscitative measures.
- Pulseless electrical activity is a condition in which the electrical activity of the heart is present but fails to generate a pulse. This needs advanced resuscitative measures.
- STEMI: ST-Elevation A myocardial infarction is a severe heart attack causing a blockage of a coronary artery.
- IO and IV access: Intraosseous and intravenous access are methods of administering drugs and fluids during ACLS interventions. While IO access is done through bones, IV access is through veins.
ACLS vs. BLS: Key Differences
Advanced cardiovascular life support and basic life support are crucial components of emergency care. BLS focuses on life-saving measures such as CPR and AED usage for immediate care. Understand the differences between these two protocols to apply the appropriate level of care.
| Aspect | ACLS | BLS |
| Focus | Advanced emergency cardiovascular care | Basic life saving techniques |
| Provider level | For healthcare professionals needing advanced training | For laypersons, healthcare providers and first responders. |
| Interventions | Includes drug administration, ECG interpretation and advanced airway management | Emphasizes CPR, airway management and AED use. |
| Equipments used | Needs advanced tools such as medication, defibrillators | Uses an AED and basic airway adjuncts |
| Duration | Longer as it involves comprehensive training | Short duration. Focuses core life-saving skills |
| Patient care scenarios | Used in complex scenarios such as arrhythmias, cardiac arrest and post-resuscitation care. | Applied in situations such as choking, and sudden cardiac arrest |
Read more: BLS Certification for Physical Therapy
Conclusion
Knowing ACLS acronyms is crucial for everyone working in the healthcare field. These are used to communicate quickly and effectively during cardiac arrest. If you are familiar with these terms, it will help you make quick decisions. Furthermore, it will also help during ACLS examinations. You can easily boost your confidence and increase your ability to provide high-level care.
