Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS)

Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) refers to a series of medical treatment actions performed for the urgent treatment of cardiac arrest, stroke and other life threatening medical emergencies, as well as the knowledge and training needed to carry out the actions and properly handle the situation.  ACLS guidelines are set into several groups of ‘algorithms’ – a set of instructions that are followed to standardize treatment, and increase its effectiveness. These algorithms usually come in the form of a flowchart, incorporating ‘yes/no’ type decisions, making the algorithm easier to memorize.