Advanced Paediatric Life Support

Summary

This APLS course provides the knowledge and skills necessary for the recognition and effective treatment and stabilisation of children with life-threatening emergencies, using a structured and sequential approach.

This internationally recognised course builds on skills and concepts introduced in the paediatric emergencies course, and candidates are encouraged to complete this course before enrolling on the more advanced APLS course.

The seriously ill and or injured child needs to be treated as an individual. There are four key differences outlined in their management that determine their treatment: weight, anatomy, physiology and psychology.

The APLS structured approach focuses the clinician on resuscitation and emergency treatment followed by continual stabilisation, and then appropriate transfer to a definitive care environment. APLS aims to teach, practise and test the acquisition and use of these technical skills. In addition, the human factors that generate the highest quality and safest health care provision are also considered.  

This two-day face-to-face course is delivered as a series of lectures, skills stations and simulation scenarios, as well as demonstrations. Topics covered include: 

  • Welcome, aims and setting the scene 
  • Demonstrations and interactive sessions 
  • Assessing and managing the seriously ill child
  • Structured approach to the seriously injured child 
  • Cardiac simulation, skills station and simulation sessions 
  • Serious illness simulation and skills stations 
  • Serious injury simulation and skills stations 
  • Cardiac simulation and skills including review and continual assessment.

Candidates will be provided with an APLS provider manual and online access key to ALSG learning platform materials for mandatory pre-course material to be completed.

This course is run over two days: 

  • Day 1: Thursday, 29 February 2024
  • Day 2: Friday, 1 March 2024

Most suitable for: SHOs and registrars (emergency medicine; required to deal with sick or deteriorating children as well as trauma). 

Learning outcomes

  • To develop knowledge and awareness on updates in primary and secondary surveys in children.
  • To practise and improve on emergency airway, ventilation and circulation skills in children.
  • To review a systematic approach to the sick febrile child.
  • To review and practise basic trauma skills in children.
  • To review the variety of paediatric injuries and recognise flags for non-accidental injury.