Advanced Cardiac Life Support

Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) develops the knowledge and practical skills required to recognise, assess, and manage life-threatening cardiovascular emergencies using a structured, evidence-based approach. Following current resuscitation science and international guidelines, participants learn to rapidly identify deteriorating patients, interpret cardiac rhythms, deliver high-quality team-based resuscitation, and provide timely interventions for cardiac arrest, peri-arrest conditions, acute coronary syndromes, stroke, and other critical medical emergencies.

Through realistic case studies, rhythm interpretation, team-based simulations, and high-fidelity resuscitation scenarios, ACLS strengthens clinical judgement, leadership, communication, and effective decision-making under pressure. Emphasis is placed on early recognition, systematic assessment, coordinated team performance, and the integration of airway management, defibrillation, pharmacology, and post–cardiac arrest care.

Designed for emergency medical technicians, paramedics, nurses, physicians, and remote healthcare providers, ACLS provides a structured and systematic framework for managing critically ill adult patients, enabling clinicians to deliver safe, efficient, and evidence-informed advanced life support in both urban and austere healthcare environments.

The ACLS course emphasises the application of advanced resuscitation principles through structured case analysis, hands-on skills stations, team-based simulations, and high-fidelity cardiac arrest scenarios. Core subject areas include:

• High-quality CPR and team dynamics
• Adult Basic and Advanced Life Support algorithms
• Cardiac rhythm recognition and interpretation
• Defibrillation and synchronised cardioversion
• Airway management and ventilation
• Emergency cardiovascular pharmacology
• Bradycardia and tachycardia management
• Cardiac arrest management (VF/pVT, PEA, Asystole)
• Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS)
• Stroke recognition and early management
• Post-cardiac arrest care
• Effective communication and leadership during resuscitation

The programme incorporates extensive patient simulations designed to develop leadership, teamwork, clinical decision-making, and the rapid application of evidence-based resuscitation algorithms. Participants gain confidence in managing critically ill adults through realistic emergency scenarios that reinforce systematic assessment, effective intervention, and coordinated team performance.

Upon successful completion of the Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) course, participants will be able to:

• Apply a systematic approach to the recognition and management of adult cardiac arrest and peri-arrest emergencies using current evidence-based ACLS algorithms.
• Recognise and interpret common cardiac rhythms, differentiating between shockable and non-shockable rhythms to guide appropriate treatment.
• Deliver high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), perform effective airway management, and utilise defibrillation and synchronised cardioversion safely and effectively.
• Integrate emergency cardiovascular pharmacology into the management of cardiac arrest, bradycardia, tachycardia, acute coronary syndromes, and post-cardiac arrest care.
• Demonstrate effective leadership, communication, and team dynamics during simulated resuscitation scenarios to optimise patient outcomes.
• Adapt advanced life support principles to diverse clinical settings, including prehospital, remote, austere, and resource-limited environments while maintaining adherence to recognised resuscitation standards.