American Heart Association
The American Heart Association (AHA) is a leading organization in the United States that works to reduce disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and stroke. The AHA is committed to improving the cardiovascular health of all Americans through research, education, advocacy, and community-based programs. As part of this mission, the AHA provides guidelines, recommendations, training, certification, and research related to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
As a leading authority in cardiovascular science and care, the AHA offers a variety of training programs and resources for healthcare providers, including Basic Life Support (BLS) for healthcare providers recertification courses. These courses provide healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and respond to cardiac emergencies quickly and effectively. By completing American Heart Association BLS for healthcare providers recertification, healthcare professionals can ensure that they are up-to-date with the latest techniques and protocols for managing life-threatening cardiac emergencies, such as cardiac arrest and stroke.
- Guidelines: The AHA publishes evidence-based guidelines for CPR on an ongoing basis. These guidelines are based on scientific evidence and provide healthcare professionals with best practices for performing CPR in different situations. For example, the AHA’s 2020 Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care recommend chest compressions at a rate of 100–120 per minute with a depth of at least 2 inches
- Recommendations: The AHA also makes recommendations regarding CPR training. For example, the AHA recommends that healthcare providers complete basic life support (BLS) training every two years in order to stay current with best practices for performing CPR.
- Research: The AHA also supports research related to cardiopulmonary resuscitation through its Center for Resuscitation Science Research Program which funds projects aimed at improving outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest events worldwide. This program focuses on understanding why some people survive sudden cardiac arrest while others do not; developing new treatments or interventions; testing new technologies; or evaluating existing strategies or treatments related to cardiopulmonary resuscitation outcomes.
