ACLS/BLS

[Gas]

How does everyone recertify for these? Quick online courses (based on AHA guidelines, but not specifically from the AHA), or actually do the whole class and skills test? Much more time consuming, but the only option AHA has to my knowledge.

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[Lecithin5]

I had a similar question. I’ve been told it really depends on your hospital policy for which you work. For my situation, I was told that I can take any one of those non-AHA accredited online courses (For what it’s worth, some of those online courses have a sort of guarantee that they will refund you the tuition if your hospital does not accept their particular course).

 

[Gas]

Our hospital medical staff office does not require this for either anesthesiologists or CRNAs. We always take it because it's good knowledge/practice. We used to get an abbreviated crash course which wasn't time consuming, but that is no longer an option.

I feel like if there is a bad outcome, it looks better in front of hospital QA committees as well as a jury if we are ACLS/BLS certified.

 

[deleted547339]

I’m surprised this is an issue in anesthesiology. Y’all should know how to run a code. BLS/ACLS isn’t meant for y’all - it’s meant for novices and/or non medical folks.

I’m EM/CCM. I know the EM governing bodies have come out strongly against the need for merit badges in board certified EPs - it’s a core competency and doing classes with life guards and baby sitter isn’t the best use of our time.

I mean, if all you did was eyes all day every day or something like that then maybe, but a legit anesthesiologist shouldn’t need to do this.

 

[nlax30]

I’m surprised this is an issue in anesthesiology. Y’all should know how to run a code. BLS/ACLS isn’t meant for y’all - it’s meant for novices and/or non medical folks.

I’m EM/CCM. I know the EM governing bodies have come out strongly against the need for merit badges in board certified EPs - it’s a core competency and doing classes with life guards and baby sitter isn’t the best use of our time.

I mean, if all you did was eyes all day every day or something like that then maybe, but a legit anesthesiologist shouldn’t need to do this.

I’ve always wondered why this was required of us. I’m Cards/EP and everywhere I’ve been/trained has required us to be certified and renew.

 

[dpmd]

I’m surprised this is an issue in anesthesiology. Y’all should know how to run a code. BLS/ACLS isn’t meant for y’all - it’s meant for novices and/or non medical folks.

I’m EM/CCM. I know the EM governing bodies have come out strongly against the need for merit badges in board certified EPs - it’s a core competency and doing classes with life guards and baby sitter isn’t the best use of our time.

I mean, if all you did was eyes all day every day or something like that then maybe, but a legit anesthesiologist shouldn’t need to do this.

This came up at my hospital because a code went poorly. Nursing wanted to force all of anesthesia to get acls instead of just addressing the issues that led to the code going poorly. It got discussed for a bit in committee (anesthesia falls under surgery supervisory committee for whatever reason) and eventually we went with the policy that mirrored what EM has that exempts them since it is considered core to the specialty.

 

[deleted547339]

I’ve always wondered why this was required of us. I’m Cards/EP and everywhere I’ve been/trained has required us to be certified and renew.

Cardiologists should be excellent at running codes - if a patient makes it to your service, it’s an arrest from a cardiac issue and you should be able to manage it expertly. I will say that some of the worst run codes I’ve seen have been by cardiologists - that being said, they may have been “ACLS certified.”

I mean, for goodness sakes, it’s not that hard. Pump on the chest, bag and shock early and often. I don’t know why we should have to go through all this.

 

[AdmiralChz]

Our hospital requires just about all physicians to carry active ACLS certifications, doesn’t matter if you’re EM, IM, Anes or whatever. Maybe specialties outside of direct patient contact could get out of it (path, radiology?). Our group pays for it and it gives a fair number of CEs so... it is what it is. Sort of like TB or blood borne pathogen training.

 

[abolt18]

Haven't had to recertify yet in residency, but I'm told we've got "a guy" here where you just show up, talk for 5-10 minutes, he signs your papers and you're recertified. Very hush hush I guess.

 

[Mman]

our hospital does not require BLS or ACLS for physicians to be credentialed

 

[coffeebythelake]

hospital doesn't require the anesthesiologists to have ACLS/BLS, but the CRNAs and anesthesia residents do.
I keep mine up to date.

 

[coffeebythelake]

Cardiologists should be excellent at running codes - if a patient makes it to your service, it’s an arrest from a cardiac issue and you should be able to manage it expertly. I will say that some of the worst run codes I’ve seen have been by cardiologists - that being said, they may have been “ACLS certified.”

I mean, for goodness sakes, it’s not that hard. Pump on the chest, bag and shock early and often. I don’t know why we should have to go through all this.

you'd think the cardiologists would be good at it.
but how often do they actually come and direct codes?
when a patient codes in cath lab, they call anesthesia and we usually run it

 

[jwk]

How does everyone recertify for these? Quick online courses (based on AHA guidelines, but not specifically from the AHA), or actually do the whole class and skills test? Much more time consuming, but the only option AHA has to my knowledge.

Ask your credentialing folks what is actually required. If it's just "ACLS" then you're good with the online course. If it's AHA-recognized ACLS, then you'll have to do the "real one". Our hospital doesn't care.

That being said, we have an AHA ACLS instructor that does our classes just for us several times a year. In and out in 2-3 hrs including written test and skills check.

 

[Gas]

Our hospital does not require any kind of ACLS or BLS. I just think it's a good idea to be certified in front of a jury or hospital QA committee.

Thanks for the responses. Seems like the quick online courses are good enough. The AHA courses are more time-consuming.

 

[kjamess]

you'd think the cardiologists would be good at it.
but how often do they actually come and direct codes?
when a patient codes in cath lab, they call anesthesia and we usually run it

well do you think patients in the CCU not code (cardiogenic shock, CHB, idiopathic refractory ventricular arrhythmias, STEMIs, complex congenital patients etc)? or the patients who get cardioverted? or during EP/cath procedures (especially the former) with complications? All VT/VF arrests with ROSC come to our service, and its not uncommon for them to arrest again once they arrive upstairs. Your experience is hard to fathom because I have NEVER been in a situation either in residency, fellowship or out in practice where we felt the need to call anesthesia to run our code (intubate yes). I mean asking anesthesia for what to do with ventricular arrhythmias? lol

Now to be fair, I can imagine a situation where a cardiologist is mostly outpatient based and only sometimes covers inpatient consults (in a hospital with no CCU). In that situation, he/she probably hasnt been directly involved in a code in a long time.

 

[dpmd]

well do you think patients in the CCU not code (cardiogenic shock, CHB, idiopathic refractory ventricular arrhythmias, STEMIs, complex congenital patients etc)? or the patients who get cardioverted? or during EP/cath procedures (especially the former) with complications? All VT/VF arrests with ROSC come to our service, and its not uncommon for them to arrest again once they arrive upstairs. Your experience is hard to fathom because I have NEVER been in a situation either in residency, fellowship or out in practice where we felt the need to call anesthesia to run our code (intubate yes). I mean asking anesthesia for what to do with ventricular arrhythmias? lol

Now to be fair, I can imagine a situation where a cardiologist is mostly outpatient based and only sometimes covers inpatient consults (in a hospital with no CCU). In that situation, he/she probably hasnt been directly involved in a code in a long time.

It may be a matter of different people thinking they are running things. Anesthesia might feel they are because they got the airway, and nursing might think they are running it because they are keeping time and offering the next epi.

 

[coffeebythelake]

well do you think patients in the CCU not code (cardiogenic shock, CHB, idiopathic refractory ventricular arrhythmias, STEMIs, complex congenital patients etc)? or the patients who get cardioverted? or during EP/cath procedures (especially the former) with complications? All VT/VF arrests with ROSC come to our service, and its not uncommon for them to arrest again once they arrive upstairs. Your experience is hard to fathom because I have NEVER been in a situation either in residency, fellowship or out in practice where we felt the need to call anesthesia to run our code (intubate yes). I mean asking anesthesia for what to do with ventricular arrhythmias? lol

Now to be fair, I can imagine a situation where a cardiologist is mostly outpatient based and only sometimes covers inpatient consults (in a hospital with no CCU). In that situation, he/she probably hasnt been directly involved in a code in a long time.

Yes my experience in perioperatively. The cardioloigts usually step back while we do it.

 

[kjamess]

Yes my experience in perioperatively. The cardioloigts usually step back while we do it.

interesting. is it usually PEA? are they not putting the probe on the patient? or ECMO + PCI if warranted? gotta say, stepping back and letting others (who are uninvolved in the case) run the show is lame. I've seen GI docs do it but come on.