| Pediatric Advanced Life Support is an important | | | | with infants and children who are critically ill. |
| training program that is the result of a combined | | | | Those who teach the class generally practice their life |
| effort between the American Heart Association and | | | | support skills in a full-time capacity in some sort of |
| the American Academy of Pediatrics. Developed in | | | | emergency facility (i.e. hospitals, ambulances, etc.). |
| 1988, the program has since been revised twice: in | | | | They are experts in their field. Upon the completion |
| 1994 and 1997. This course’s intent is to help | | | | of a Pediatric Advanced Life Support course, the |
| pediatric healthcare providers learn the skills | | | | individual is given a Pediatric Advanced Life Support |
| necessary to deal with critically ill babies or infants | | | | Provider card. This card lasts or is valid for two |
| and children. It has been proven that early | | | | years, and it can be renewed by taking a Pediatric |
| identification of respiratory failure can improve the | | | | Advanced Life Support Renewal course before the |
| survival rate from a low 10 percent to a much higher | | | | end of the expiration month. |
| 85-90%. | | | | The following skills are taught in a Pediatric Advanced |
| Pediatric Advanced Life Support is a way to keep | | | | Life Support course: recognition and treatment of |
| children stable while they are being transported, | | | | infants and children at risk for cardiac arrest, |
| especially during an emergency, either into or out of | | | | respiratory management, effective resuscitation, |
| a hospital. The course is generally 14 hours in length, | | | | among other skills and systematic approaches to life |
| though it can be much longer depending on who is | | | | threatening issues with infants and children. |
| teaching the course and where the course is taught. | | | | It is recommended that anyone working with children |
| Pediatric Advanced Life Support does not only teach | | | | go through a Pediatric Advanced Life Support course. |
| people how to deal with infants and children who are | | | | Obviously, anyone working in a hospital – nurses, |
| critically ill but also shows caregivers how to | | | | aides, doctors, etc. – should be well-informed |
| recognize the signs of potential cardiac arrest. Thus, | | | | about Pediatric Advanced Life Support and its |
| the course is as much about identifying the signs or | | | | approach to treating critically ill infants and children. |
| about prevention as it is dealing with the actual | | | | Additionally, more and more teachers and childcare |
| cardiac arrest or illness. This course provides people | | | | professionals are investing in this training as a |
| with a uniform or systematic approach to dealing | | | | precautionary method. |