AHS 60D: PEDIATRIC ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT (AHA PALS)

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading	Value
Units:	2
Hours:	2 lecture per week (24 total per quarter)
Advisory:	Students must successfully pass the written exam, and successfully perform the skills to earn PALS certification.
Degree & Credit Status:	Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE:	Non-GE
Transferable:	CSU
Grade Type:	Letter Grade Only
Repeatability:	Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate your knowledge of the pediatric care inverted triangle.
Demonstrate the ability to manage the pediatric airway and discuss the differences in the adult airway.

Description

The American Heart Association Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) course is based on science evidence from the 2015 AHA Guidelines for CPR and ECC. The goal of the PALS course is to aid the pediatric healthcare provider in developing the knowledge and skills necessary to efficiently and effectively manage critically ill infants and children, resulting in improved outcomes. Skills taught include recognition and treatment of infants and children at risk for cardiopulmonary arrest; the systematic approach to pediatric assessment; effective respiratory management; defibrillation and synchronized cardioversion; intraosseous access and fluid bolus administration; and effective resuscitation team dynamics.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:
A. Perform high-quality child CPR AED and infant CPR per American Heart Association basic life support recommendations.
B. Differentiate between patients who do and patients who do not require immediate intervention, recognize cardiopulmonary arrest early, and begin CPR within 10 seconds.
C. Apply team dynamics.
D. Differentiate between respiratory distress and respiratory failure, and perform early interventions for both.
E. Differentiate between compensated and decompensated (hypotensive) shock, and perform early interventions for the treatment of shock.
F. Differentiate between unstable and stable patients with arrhythmias, and clinical characteristics of instability in patients with arrhythmias.
H. Implement post-cardiac-arrest management.

Course Content

A. High quality CPR on children and infants
1. BLS survey
2. ACLS survey
3. Circulation survey
4. Appropriate treatment
B. Pediatric assessments for stable and unstable patients
1. BLS survey
2. ACLS survey
3. Circulation survey
4. Appropriate treatment
C. Effective communication and team dynamics
1. Role of the team leader
2. Role of the team member
3. Communication
D. Respiratory arrest
1. BLS survey
2. ACLS survey
3. Airway management
E. Shock, compensated and decompensated
1. BLS survey
2. ACLS survey
3. Circulation survey
4. Appropriate treatment
F. Arrhythmia in stable and unstable patients, and clinical signs
1. Normal sinus
2. Sinus bradycardia and sinus tachycardia
3. Ventricular asystole and agonal rhythms
4. Ventricular fibrillation
5. Premature ventricular contraction
6. Pulseless electrical activity
7. Atrial fibrillation and flutter
8. Atrioventricular block
a. First-degree AV block
b. Second-degree AV block
1) Type 1 (Wenckebach)
2) Type 2
c. Third-degree AV block
9. Junctional complexes
a. Premature junctional
b. Junctional escape complexes and rhythms
10. Tachycardia
a. Paroxysmal supraventricular
b. Wide-complex tachycardia of uncertain type
c. Ventricular tachycardia
11. ACLS algorithms for core cases
a. Purpose of algorithms
b. How to use algorithms
12. Participates in a mega code as a member and a team leader
a. Communicates effectively with the team
b. Performs duties according to assigned role
13. Special resuscitation situations
a. Hypothermia
b. Near drowning
c. Electric shock
d. Cardiac arrest associated with pregnancy
e. Toxicological cardiac emergencies
14. ACLS medications
a. Oxygen administration
b. Routes of drug administration
1) IV route
2) IO route
3) ET route
b. Vasopressors
1) Epinephrine
2) Vasopressin
3) Antiarrhythmic agents
a) Amiodarone
b) Lidocaine
c) Adenosine
15. Defibrillation and Cardiac pacing
a. Defibrillators
b. Importance of early defibrillation
c. Standard defibrillators
d. Automated external defibrillation
H. Post cardiac arrest management
a. BLS survey
b. ALS survey
c. Stablization

Lab Content

Not applicable.

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

A. Defibrillator with the computer capability to produce various cardiac rhythms.
B. Airway management equipment.
C. Simulation manikins and equipment.
D. Computer with online capabilities.
E. AHA PALS DVD.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of evaluations will include:
A. Pre-course video and quiz
B. AHA PALS certification exam
C. AHA scenario based evaluations

Method(s) of Instruction

A. Lecture presentations and classroom discussion using clinical simulations scenarios
B. In class mega-code stations with team leader and other supporting role
C. Students will perform hands on demonstrations within group lectures

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Current American Heart Association Guidelines for PALS provider manual. Dallas, TX: American Heart Association, 2015.

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

A. Pre-course video with quiz
B. Reading of student manual prior to certification exam

Discipline(s)

Emergency Medical Technologies, Respiratory Technologies

Academic Catalog