White chest compressions and rescue breath are essential in CPR; sometimes, you need extra help to save a life. In Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), you learn the significance of oxygen therapy. Oxygen therapy is like a cozy blanket for our bodies. Timely administration of oxygen can help you recover faster. It causes less damage to your organs as well. It makes sure you get enough oxygen to stay healthy. This blog talks about the ACLS course in detail. You will also learn more about the significance of oxygen therapy in ACLS and other modern techniques used in this course.
What do you learn in an ACLS course?
In an ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) course, you learn advanced skills to help people with severe heart problems or other emergencies. Here are some things you might learn:
- Advanced CPR: Learn how to do CPR with more detailed techniques, including using special tools to help pump the heart.
- Using AEDs: Practice using Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to shock the heart back to a normal rhythm.
- Medicines: Understand how to give essential medicines to help the heart and breathing.
- Reading Heart Monitors: Learn to read and understand heart monitors to know if someone’s heart is okay or needs help.
- Teamwork: Practice working in teams to help people in very critical situations.
- Breathing Tubes: Learn how to put a tube into the windpipe to help someone breathe.
- Recognizing Emergencies: Understand when someone needs immediate help and what to do in different emergencies.
- Practice Scenarios: Work on simulated cases to practice what you’ve learned in real-life situations.
- Leadership Skills: Develop skills to lead a team in emergencies.
- Problem-Solving: Learn to make quick decisions and solve problems during high-pressure situations.
An ACLS course helps medical professionals become more skilled at handling life-threatening situations, especially those related to the heart and breathing. It’s essential for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers who want to provide advanced care in emergencies.
Understanding oxygen therapy and its relation to ACLS
Oxygen therapy can be done through various methods, including nasal cannula, face mask, or non-rebreather mask. A recognized ACLS course teaches oxygen therapy because it can help to improve the survival rate of patients who experience cardiac arrest or other respiratory problems.
In ACLS, oxygen therapy is typically used in the following situations:
- Cardiac Arrest: Oxygen therapy is essential for patients who are in cardiac arrest. It sends more oxygen into the affected body parts.
- Respiratory Distress: Oxygen therapy can be used to treat patients experiencing respiratory distress, such as asthma or COPD. It helps to improve the breathing and oxygen levels in the blood.
- Shock: Oxygen therapy can be used to treat patients who are in shock.
- Poisoning: Oxygen therapy can remove the poison from the blood. It can also improve the oxygen levels in the body.
Oxygen therapy is generally safe for most patients. However, there are some potential risks, such as:
- Hypoxia: This is a condition in which the body does not get enough oxygen. Hypoxia can occur if the oxygen is not delivered correctly or if the patient has a pre-existing condition that makes them more susceptible to hypoxia.
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Such poisoning happens when the patient is exposed to carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal.
- Fire Hazard: Oxygen can be a fire hazard if misused. It is essential to use oxygen in ventilated rooms only.
It is an essential part of ACLS skills and can help to improve the survival rate of patients who experience cardiac arrest or other respiratory problems.
Here are some of the benefits of oxygen therapy:
- Improves oxygen levels in the blood and tissues.
- Helps to reduce the workload of the heart and lungs.
- It can help to improve the patient’s mental status.
- It can help to prevent complications, such as organ damage or death.
What modern techniques are a part of ACLS?
Here are some of the modern techniques that are a part of ACLS:
- Intravenous (IV) fluids: IV fluids can be used to improve the circulation and oxygen levels in patients who are in shock or who have lost a lot of blood.
- Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS): POCUS is a technique that uses ultrasound to quickly assess a patient’s condition. POCUS can be used in ACLS to evaluate the heart, lungs, and other organs.
Conclusion
Oxygen therapy is like a superhero, helping people breathe better. It’s a vital part of ACLS because it helps patients feel better and gives them a better chance of getting well. The significance of oxygen therapy comes from the fact that it can save lives faster. Every ACLS course teaches oxygen therapy as well. To learn more about this technique, take your course on the Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support Now platform. Just log onto our website and select the course of your choice today.
