Online ACLS, BLS, and PALS Certification for Houston Medical Professionals
The United States Census Bureau estimates Houston’s population in 2012 to have been 2,160,821. The city boasts more than 85 hospitals with over 19,300 beds to serve Houston’s residents. Employing more than 100,000 health care workers, these facilities provide jobs for nearly 7 percent of the Houston-area workforce.
From 2006 to 2010, total hospital charges for cardiovascular disease increased in Texas from $16.5 billion to $19.9 billion (20 percent). Obesity is a significant problem for the city of Houston. In its 2012 survey of the fittest and fattest cities in the nation, Men’s Fitness magazine ranked Houston as the fattest city in the United States.
But this isn’t the first time the city has taken the number one slot in the magazine’s survey. Houston held that distinction from 2001 to 2003 and once again in 2009. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2009 data showed that 66 percent of Houston area adult residents were overweight or obese, which is an increase since 2002 (61 percent).
Only 23.2 percent of adults were reported to consume the recommended five daily servings of fruit and vegetables. It should be noted though that Houston has the greatest number of fast food restaurants out of another other city in the U.S., according to Men’s Fitness.
According to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), 34.4 percent of Houston high school students were overweight or obese in 2007—a 5 percent increase since 1999. The national average for the same age group was 28.8 percent.
Whether hoping to acquire an ACLS, BLS or PALS certification, understanding how to react swiftly, effectively, and with certainty during emergency situations can save a life.
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) training delivers healthcare employees the needed tools to provide pediatric emergency care during stressful conditions, such as at the site of a lake boating accident.
Before beginning a PALS class, you must have completed Basic Life Support (BLS) training. BLS tests are available on this website and should be completed before PALS or ACLS training. Current BLS providers should ensure that their skill set is current accordingly to the most recent guidelines.
BLS tests are the building blocks on which Houston residents can obtain emergency medical skills. Since cardiac arrest account for the greatest percentage of deaths in the world, knowing BLS life-saving steps is of the utmost importance. BLS “Chain of Survival” gives detailed directions for both one person and two person resuscitations.
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) uses BLS techniques in class. The course provides skills that will increase the rate of survival during neurological and cardiac emergencies, specifically stroke, cardiopulmonary arrest, and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Intervening early in cardiac dysrhythmias increases a person’s odds of survival.
Houston needs more certified ACLS providers!
