BLS Certification

BLS is an acronym which causes some confusion for people looking to get into a CPR class.  BLS stands for “Basic Life Support.” In contrast to Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), BLS denotes a level of care which patients are to receive in the case of an emergency. The BLS level of care includes things outside the scope of a traditional CPR class like oxygen administration and bleeding control. On the other hand, ACLS refers to more complex and invasive tasks such as but not limited to intravenous medications, breathing tubes, and cardiac monitoring. In the context of a CPR class, when the class is denoted as “BLS” it typically means that it is designed for anyone 16 years or older. ACLS is reserved typically for those medical professionals needing certification to work. 

BLS Certification Online Guide 

You will find many organizations which offer CPR certifications. The certifications are of either type; for professional rescuers or lay rescuers. The American Heart Association (AHA) is one of the main guiding curricula for most CPR classes in the United States. So while different companies may claim different things most classes are based on the AHA’s syllabus. Such companies also help with MCAT in Atlanta and other major US cities.

American Heart Association BLS

The American Heart Association offers three main basic life support level classes which are available for professional rescuers. These include Heart Code BLS, BLS for Prehospital Providers, and BLS for Healthcare Providers. Classes cover the following topics:

• Critical concepts of effective resuscitation

• Automatic External Defibrillator use

• CPR for adults, children, and infants

• Bag-mask techniques for all ages

• Rescue breathing for all ages

• Choking for all ages

• CPR with an advanced airway in place (breathing tube)

The more general lay rescuer courses are also available from the AHA are called Family & Friends CPR and Heart Saver AED. Family & Friends CPR is for those who want the knowledge but do not need a certification or course completion card. The course covers:

• Compression only CPR for adults

• Child CPR with breaths

• Infant CPR with breaths

• AED use in adults and children

• Adult choking

The American Red Cross

The American Red Cross conducts a number of classes beyond CPR and to help people select the right course they classify them as either “Workplaces, Schools, and Individuals”, “Professional Rescuers”, or “Wilderness, Sports, and Pets”.