Basic Life Support is a popular training program among healthcare providers and laypersons alike. Basic CPR training used to be monopolized by healthcare workers and students but today, with a raised awareness on the dangers of cardiovascular emergencies, people from all walks of life enroll in our CPR programs. Our providers are easily accessible, spaced out over six cities in five states. We also have the largest selection of training courses available at very affordable rates, making us a step above our competitors.
If you need any form of CPR certification, you can be sure to find a class at any of our providers that offers it. We have locations in the following cities: (1) San Francisco, (2) Los Angeles, (3) Honolulu, (4) Las Vegas, (5) Seattle, and (6) Portland. All six offer the same classes at the same rates.
The concept of Basic Life Support
Basic Life Support training was first developed by the American Heart Association (AHA) as a set of guidelines to help CPR rescuers. The concept of BLS teaches students about the Chain of Survival, a list of steps when managing a cardiac arrest victim. There are five links in the chain:
- Cardiac arrest (CA) recognition
- Chest compressions and rescue breaths
- Defibrillation
- Advanced Life Support
- Post-cardiac arrest care
We teach trainees how to follow all five links in advanced courses while basic courses typically follow the first two to three links. The Chain of Survival is an important topic we teach our trainees, in all our courses.
Chest compressions pump blood by pressing down on the chest and making blood circulate manually to the rest of the body. Because respiratory arrest is a common companion of cardiac problems, rescue breaths are likewise as important. Rescue breaths oxygenate the blood and coupled with compressions, help oxygen reach the different parts of our body.
Defibrillation
Automated external defibrillation (AED) is done on a victim who has a heart rhythm but it is irregular, a condition known as arrhythmia. Chest compressions are only done on victims of arrest who are flatlined – a lack of heart rhythm and cardiac electrical activity termed asystole. Defibrillation sends electric current to the heart muscle in an attempt to restore normal heart rhythm (regular sinus rhythm).
Basic Life Support training programs
We have three BLS programs offered by all our providers, one for the general public and two for healthcare providers.
- Heartsaver CPR/AED – A program for the general public that is 4 hours long; teaches single-person CPR rescue, first aid, and defibrillation
- Heartsaver CPR/AED C – A program for healthcare providers that is 4.5 hours long; teaches the same topics as the first Heartsaver program
- Basic Life Support – A program for healthcare providers that is also 4.5 hours long; teach both single CPR rescue and CPR rescue with a partner, first aid, defibrillation, and the 2010 BLS guidelines
- Basic Life Support re-certification – A re-certification program for the BLS class that is 4 hours long