Basic Life Support

Basic Life Support (BLS) is a level of medical care used for victims of life-threatening illnesses or injuries until they can be given full medical care at a hospital. As a dental assistant, you are required to be BLS certified. This certification ensures you can respond effectively to medical emergencies that may occur in the dental office. BLS training follows the 2020 American Heart Association Guidelines for Healthcare Providers.

BLS certification is completed during an in-person session. During this session, you will be trained in Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers and will receive your BLS card via email upon completion. Important: BLS will not be offered again after the scheduled session. If you miss this course, you will be responsible for taking and paying for it independently in order to obtain your certification.

BLS training covers several critical skills: recognizing signs of cardiac arrest, performing high-quality CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), using an AED (automated external defibrillator), and relieving choking in adults, children, and infants. Each of these skills could save a patient's life in an emergency situation.

For adult CPR: Place the heel of one hand on the center of the chest, place your other hand on top, and compress at least 2 inches deep at a rate of 100–120 compressions per minute. After every 30 compressions, give 2 rescue breaths. Continue until emergency services arrive or the patient recovers. For children and infants, compression depth and technique differ — these are covered in your in-person session.

The AHA identifies two distinct Chains of Survival — one for In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (IHCA) and one for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA). For OHCA, the chain is: (1) Recognition and activation of emergency response, (2) Early CPR with emphasis on chest compressions, (3) Rapid defibrillation, (4) Advanced resuscitation by EMS, (5) Post-cardiac arrest care, (6) Recovery. For IHCA, the chain is: (1) Surveillance and prevention, (2) Recognition and activation, (3) High-quality CPR, (4) Defibrillation, (5) Post-cardiac arrest care, (6) Recovery. As a dental professional, you are most likely to encounter IHCA scenarios in the dental office.

When a patient is in cardiac arrest, it is critical to identify and treat reversible causes. These are organized into the H's and T's:

The H's: Hypovolemia (low blood volume), Hypoxia (lack of oxygen), Hydrogen ion excess (acidosis), Hypo/Hyperkalemia (potassium imbalance), Hypothermia (low body temperature).

The T's: Tension pneumothorax (collapsed lung), Tamponade (cardiac — fluid around heart), Toxins (drug overdose/poisoning), Thrombosis — pulmonary (blood clot in lung), Thrombosis — coronary (heart attack).

In a dental office setting, the most relevant causes to be aware of are hypoxia (airway obstruction), toxins (adverse drug reactions to local anesthetics), and vasovagal syncope leading to cardiac events.

The complete 2020 American Heart Association Guidelines Highlights for CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care is a 32-page reference document that covers adult BLS, pediatric BLS, neonatal resuscitation, and systems of care. This is the official reference used in your BLS certification course. Download and review this document to prepare for your in-person BLS session.