Summer Is Here; How Can ACLS Cert Be a Valuable Tool?

Summer is a time to get outside and enjoy sunshine and longer days. However, the associated increased activity levels can lead to an increased risk for respiratory arrest and other injuries that may require advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) intervention. To meet the potential increased need, it’s important for first responders and other healthcare professionals to complete ACLS classes, which teach life-saving measures used to treat adults suffering compromised circulation, often due to lack of oxygen.

Learning ACLS cert can help you save a drowning person’s life
During the summer, people take part in swimming, boating, rafting and a number of other water sports. All of these activities present a certain risk of drowning, which deprives an individual of oxygen and requires ACLS intervention as quickly as possible. The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control stated that in 2007, there were 3,443 fatal unintentional drownings in the United States, averaging ten deaths per day. A healthcare practitioner or first responder certified in ACLS can help increase the chance that a drowning victim will survive.

High altitude responders should consider ACLS cert online to manage hiking emergencies
Hiking in areas of higher altitude can affect how easy it is for people – especially those visiting from lower altitudes – to breathe and maintain a healthy flow of oxygen. ACLS cert can help first responders and healthcare professionals quickly identify the signs of respiratory arrest and/or cardiac arrest in order to intervene as soon as possible. And online certification may be a good option for responders situated in mountain areas with little access to in-person training.

Uncommon but dangerous: lightning strikes can cause respiratory arrest
Although not as common as some other summer occurrences, it’s still important to be aware of the complications that can occur if someone is struck by lightning. Thunderstorms – and the associated lightning – are more common during the summertime than other seasons. Being struck by lighting can cause a temporary paralysis of the chest, which, in turn, can cause respiratory arrest and require ACLS.

ACLS certification is vital for those individuals who may be required to respond to emergency medical situations – in the summer or all year long. Health Ed Solutions, the leading online provider of ACLS cert online, also offers BLS and PALS certification and recertification as well as CPR and AED training.