PALS training at Toronto First Aid
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) is an ALS program that focuses on the management of pediatric patients, specifically infants, toddlers, and school-age children. It runs for 14 hours, and students need to pass a written exam and a skills test to receive PALS certification. PALS training costs 270 dollars. The certificate for PALS training is only valid for three years, after which a student can renew it via a PALS refresher program.
Pre-requisite for PALS training: A valid Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (CPR Level C) training credential. We offer CPR Level C training; it costs 70 dollars and runs for 4.5 hours.
ALS: Advanced Life Support
Advanced Life Support is a category of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, focusing on advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation management in a medical or in-hospital environment. It is different from Basic Life Support, which focuses on out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and cardiac emergencies, where the first responder is usually a layperson.
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) is not the only ALS program available at Toronto First Aid, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) is offered as well, focused on the management of adult victims. The latter runs for 12 hours long, shorter than PALS’ 14 hours.
Advanced CPR with PALS
The Pediatric Advanced Life Support curriculum centers on pediatric management, with the management of infants separate from the management of toddlers and older children. You will learn about the following topics (not just the ones listed, but those are the main concepts we cover):
- Recognition of cardiac arrest (and other cardiorespiratory emergencies) in children
- Different approaches for pediatric assessment
- Effective respiratory management
- One and two-person infant and child CPR
- Defibrillation for infants and children
- Resuscitation team dynamics
Passing the PALS program
Before we award students with a PALS credential, they need to complete all classes with complete attendance along with passing the written and skills tests (both are part of the certification exam, which is scheduled during another day).
Getting started with training
Cardiac arrest in children
Pediatric cardiac arrest is commonly termed differently – asphyxial arrest – and with good reason. When children get heart attacks, the causes are very different from cardiac arrest in adults. When adults get heart attacks, the cause is usually a pre-existing cardiac problem. In children, the cause of a heart attack is usually respiratory in nature. Respiratory distress and eventual failure places great stress on the heart, which causes the heart attack. Congenital heart problems are also very common reasons for cardiac arrest in children – particularly congenital deformities of the heart.
Preventing cardiac arrest and cardiac problems
- Get checked out if you have preexisting non-modifiable risk factors – such as family member with a cardiac condition or personal history with cardiac and respiratory problems.
- Other risk factors include a diet high in fat and sodium, hypertension, diabetes, vices such as smoking, and lack of adequate exercise.
- If you or your child have been experiencing chest pain, difficulty breathing, palpitations, and easy fatigueability, seek medical help immediately.