What is Basic Life Support (BLS)?

One of the most important aspects of providing quality healthcare is having a good understanding of Basic Life Support (BLS). This essential knowledge can help healthcare providers provide quality care to their patients in the event of an emergency.

BLS is a set of guidelines that outline the basic actions that should be taken to maintain someone’s breathing and circulation. These actions include providing emergency breathing, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and use of rescue medication. The purpose of these guidelines is to provide the knowledge and skills to perform CPR in a variety of situations in order to prevent death or further injury to the person suffering a cardiac arrest. BLS is also performed outside of a hospital setting, such as on accident scenes and other places where medical emergencies occur.

A common question that we get is "how does BLS class differ from the regular CPR class?" The main difference is that BLS class covers a broader range of scenarios and techniques that are specific to what healthcare providers may experience in their profession. For example, BLS class includes the use of a Bag-Valve Mask (BVM) for rescue breathing. This device is used in emergency situations to supplement the breathing of a patient who isn't able to adequately breath on their own.

Not sure if you need to take BLS or a regular CPR class? You can always contact us and ask, but here are some basic guidelines to help figure out which class is right for you:

• If you are a nurse, doctor, EMT, paramedic, or a student in any of these professions then you should take BLS.

• If you are a CNA, you likely need to take a regular CPR/AED class. If you're an Advanced CNA, you probably need to take BLS.

• If you're a dental hygienist you can usually take either type of class, depending on your training and job requirements.

• Childcare providers should take CPR/AED/First Aid.

Regardless of your profession, Do CPR can help you achieve your class goals. Check us out at www.DoCPR.com or contact us for more information!