Online ACLS, BLS, and PALS Certification for Chicago Medical Professionals
With a population of 2,695,598 (based on the 2010 Census), Chicago is the third largest city in the nation. Of the 38,605 Cook County residents who died in 2010, 10,247 of the fatalities were due to heart disease. The second leading cause of death in the United States was cancer with more than 9,000 fatalities.
The Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Center for Healthcare Equity/Institute for Healthcare Studies created healthcare resources maps in 2011. Chicago’s 36 hospitals were not distributed evenly across the city. The city’s northern, southern, and western regions had the greatest concentration of acute care facilities. However, the northwestern, southwestern, and far southern areas had less than three general acute care hospitals.
The Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC) reported that the obesity rate among Chicago children (22 percent) between the ages of 3 to 7 was more than twice the national average (10.4 percent) for a similar age group in 2008. And from 2007 to 2009, Cook County’s infant mortality rate rose from 7.1 percent to 7.3 percent.
A 2009 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey illustrated that the prevalence of obesity among Chicago’s high school students (21 percent) was above the national average (16 percent). Children and adolescents who are obese have an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, mellitus, asthma, and heart disease. Obesity has also been shown to place great strain on medical resources. Excess weight was estimated to drain the country of $3 billion a year in direct medical costs.
Whether you wish to pursue ACLS, BLS or PALS certification, understanding how to react quickly, confidently, and effectively during life-threatening events can save lives.
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification will deliver medical professionals the necessary tools to provide emergency care to children during stressful circumstances, such as at the site of a lake boating accident. Centered on the latest guidelines, PALS training reiterates the impact of strong team dynamics during resuscitation. Providers learn how to initiate an accurate, time-sensitive assessment of a pediatric patient’s condition before taking action.
If interested in pursuing PALS certification, you must have undergone Basic Life Support (BLS) training before starting a course. BLS tests are also available on this website and should be completed before pursuing either PALS or ACLS training.
Since cardiac arrest causes the greatest percentage of deaths in the world, being comfortable with BLS life-saving steps is of the utmost importance. Current BLS providers should ensure that their skill set is the most current available. The BLS “Chain of Survival” gives detailed directions for both one person and two person resuscitations.
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) employs BLS practices during training. The course provides the skills to increase survival rates during neurological and cardiac emergencies, specifically stroke, cardiopulmonary arrest, and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Intervening early in cardiac dysrhythmias increases a person’s odds of survival.
Chicago needs more certified ACLS providers!
