Advanced Life Support (ALS) 

These products have been updated with new science from the 2025 Guidelines for CPR and ECC and replace the previous versions.

ALS: High-Performance Teams ModuleThe Advanced Life Support (ALS) modules offer high-level topics beyond Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) content and Continuing Education (CE) Credit. Each module uses the self-directed True Adaptive™ learning technology, where students follow a learning path personalized by their own inputs and self-reported confidence level.

Who should take this course?

The American Heart Association’s ALS modules are for advanced healthcare providers who are seeking additional content beyond ACLS. This includes personnel in emergency response, emergency medicine, intensive care, and critical care units such as physicians, nurses, paramedics, and others.

What topics are available?

The Trauma Module covers the systematic evaluation of a trauma patient, including performing initial lifesaving maneuvers.

Course content includes the following:

  • Assessment, approaches, and treatment of systematic evaluation of a trauma patient
  • Key concerns during an assessment
  • Adjuncts to the primary trauma survey
  • Airway obstruction maneuvers and securing the airway
  • Identifying shock and providing treatment
  • Hemodynamic instability and hemorrhage control
  • Trauma resuscitation
  • Permissive hypotension
  • Massive transfusions
  • Traumatic brain injury, burn injuries, and musculoskeletal injuries

Course Learning Objectives:

After successfully completing this course, students should be able to

  • Describe the systematic evaluation of a trauma patient including performing initial lifesaving maneuvers
  • Explain how to ensure that a trauma patient has a secure and functional airway
  • Describe the pathophysiology of shock in trauma
  • Identify sources of hemodynamic instability and how to perform lifesaving maneuvers for initial hemorrhage control
  • Describe the management of trauma patients with traumatic central nervous system injury, burn injuries, and fractures
  • Explain the indications and contraindications of resuscitative thoracotomy in case of traumatic cardiac arrest

Maternal Cardiac Arrest (MCA) is a life-threatening event that may occur in any healthcare setting, even outside the hospital. Cardiac arrest in this population poses unique challenges to a healthcare team since there are critical actions affecting two patients. The ALS: Maternal Cardiac Arrest Module explores the why of MCA and how to treat pregnant cardiac arrest patients within a hospital.

Course Learning Objectives:

After successfully completing this course, students should be able to

  • Identify current factors influencing maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States in relation to maternal cardiac arrest
  • Describe how to determine a different diagnosis for maternal cardiac arrest
  • Describe the relevant physiologic changes of pregnancy that impact the resuscitation of Mother and Fetus during maternal cardiac arrest
  • Discuss modifications that are required in maternal resuscitation protocols<
  • Describe key components of the management schema for response to cardiopulmonary arrest during pregnancy
  • Discuss implementation strategies for ongoing resuscitation measures when initial resuscitation strategies are unsuccessful to achieve ROSC

The Procedural Sedation Module covers pre-procedural considerations for the use of procedural sedation, including identification of the levels of sedation and when sedation becomes general anesthesia. The course describes how to evaluate patients prior to, during, and post-procedural sedation. It educates providers on equipment needed for monitoring patients, common medications to use, as well as reversal agents to have on hand to safely perform procedural sedation. Criteria for a safe discharge post-sedation is also covered.

Course Learning Objectives:

After successfully completing this course, students should be able to

  • Explain the Pre-Procedure preparation for Procedural Sedation
  • Describe the Intra-Procedural considerations for Procedural Sedation
  • Describe the Post-Procedural considerations for Procedural Sedation

The Advanced ECG Module describes more complex arrhythmias, such as second and third-degree heart blocks, wide complex tachycardia, and narrow complex tachycardia.

Course Learning Objectives:

After successfully completing this course, students should be able to

  • Recognize the factors to consider when diagnosing wide complex tachycardia (WCT)
  • Recognize the factors to consider when diagnosing narrow complex tachycardia (NCT)
  • Explain the use of Adenosine for NCT and WCT
  • Recognize the factors to consider when diagnosing different types of bradycardias

The Advanced Airway Management Module is designed to teach providers how to evaluate and determine the need for an advanced airway in patients. This course provides instruction on the strategies of oxygen monitoring and delivery prior to advanced airway placement. It also demonstrates the strategies and goals of advanced airway insertion, troubleshooting issues, ensuring proper placement, and monitoring the patient.

Course Learning Objectives:

After successfully completing this course, students should be able to

  • Describe the Indications for Advanced Airway Management
  • Describe Pre-Oxygenation Strategies and Goals
  • Describe the steps in the Advanced Airway Insertion Procedure
  • Describe the post-intubation methods of confirmation and monitoring

The Opioid Module is designed to help clinical team members provide immediate treatment and care for adult opioid overdose victims.

Course content includes the following:

  • Pathophysiology of opioid overdose
  • Special considerations on how to care for overdose patients, including naloxone administration
  • Recognizing the need for high-quality CPR and the use of a defibrillator as indicated
  • Information on the importance and types of resources available for individuals after an opioid overdose, including medication-assisted therapies

Course Learning Objectives:

After successfully completing this course, students should be able to

  • Describe the current opioid epidemic in the U.S.
  • Explain the pathophysiology of chronic opioid use
  • Describe the pathophysiology of opioid overdose
  • Describe the efficacy of naloxone for opioid overdose
  • Review care considerations for comprehensive treatment after an opioid overdose

The High-Performance Teams Module covers the essential role of high-performance teams in improving survival from cardiac arrest. It educates students on how high-performance teams carry out their roles in highly effective manners, resulting in superior performance and timing, which can translate to improved survival for patients in cardiac arrest.

This course focuses on the following concepts:

  • Timing, quality, coordination, and administration
  • Team roles and dynamics
  • The role of a CPR Coach
  • Ways to increase Chest Compression Fraction (CCF) and how to measure CCF
  • Use of feedback devices and physiological response to adjust real-time CPR performance
  • Structured and supported debriefing

Course Learning Objectives:

After successfully completing this course, students should be able to

  • Recognize the impact of team dynamics on overall team performance
  • Model effective communication as a member or leader of a high-performance team
  • Evaluate resuscitative efforts during a cardiac arrest through continuous assessment of CPR quality, monitoring the patient’s physiologic response and delivering real-time feedback to the team
  • Explain structured debriefing skills

The Respiratory Emergencies Module covers several of the most common respiratory emergencies including severe asthma, cardiogenic pulmonary edema, anaphylaxis, peri-intubation arrest, pulmonary embolism, and noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. It educates students on the identification of signs and symptoms, descriptions of treatments, potential complications, and considerations. The goal of this module is how to treat these respiratory emergencies before they lead to cardiac arrest.

Course Learning Objectives:

After successfully completing this course, students should be able to

  • Recognize and explain treatment for severe asthma
  • Recognize and explain treatment for cardiogenic pulmonary edema
  • Recognize and explain treatment for anaphylaxis
  • Recognize and explain treatment for peri-intubation arrest
  • Recognize and explain treatment for pulmonary hypertension due to pulmonary embolism
  • Recognize and explain treatment for noncardiogenic pulmonary edema due to narcotics overdose

The ALS: Post-Cardiac Arrest Care Module describes the pathophysiology of post-arrest syndrome, the initial management of post-cardiac arrest (first 30 min), and 36-to-72-hour post-ROSC management.

Course Learning Objectives:

After successfully completing this course, students should be able to

  • Recognize the pathophysiology and clinical findings common after resuscitation from cardiac arrest
  • Implement cardiac monitoring as part of post-cardiac arrest care
  • Implement respiratory support during post-cardiac arrest care
  • Implement neurologic support and monitoring during post-cardiac arrest care
  • Monitor for and manage other physiologic, organ, and secondary complications of cardiac arrest
  • Formulate outcomes and prognostication after cardiac arrest
  • Describe recovery after cardiac arrest

The Mechanical Circulatory Systems Module describes the introduction to mechanical circulatory support, general concepts of patient selection, and types of percutaneous mechanical circulatory support.

Course Learning Objectives:

After successfully completing this course, students should be able to

  • Describe the role of hemodynamic support in patients with cardiac arrest
  • Describe the key patient and arrest characteristics used to select patients for hemodynamic support in the setting of cardiac arrest
  • Describe the hemodynamic support devices available to support patients suffering cardiac arrest
  • Describe the process of removing hemodynamic support
  • Describe the key quality metrics and registries available for cardiac arrest patients