About nine percent of children who suffer from cardiac arrest outside a hospital and 27 percent of those who experience cardiac arrest in a hospital setting will survive most of them thanks to a healthcare professional certified in pediatric advanced life support (PALS). Health Education Solutions, the leading provider of continuing education solutions for healthcare professionals, today released a new PALS Special Section, a series of articles, vignettes and important facts about PALS and PALS certification, available in its online research library. The 10-article special section is free for healthcare providers and others who want to learn more about this important life-saving set of skills.

"Pediatric emergency care requires a unique set of skills, as well as a strong understanding of the differences between caring for an adult versus a child or infant," said David King, president of Health Education Solutions. "Whether you're seeking to update your professional skills, need continuing medical education credits or require certification or recertification in PALS, it's easy to get the vital information you need through Health Education Solutions' research library and online courses."

The special section includes information about the PALS online course, as well as stories, how-tos and more. Here are some highlights:

-- The Need for Pediatric Emergency Assessment

-- Signs and Symptoms of Shock in Children and Infants

-- The Three Most Common Causes of Pediatric Cardiac Arrest

-- Not-So-Fun in the Sun: Summertime Months Bring Heightened Incidence of Pediatric Injury

-- The What, When, Who, Where and Why of PALS

Health Education Solutions offers a variety of ways for healthcare professionals and others to learn the skills they need to be prepared for a medical emergency. For example, the online Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) recertification and initial certification courses provide training in the key skills necessary to help a child experiencing a heart attack or other medical emergency.

Initial certification requires completion of an in-person skills test, whereas recertification is 100 percent online. Students have access to the course materials for 12 months after purchase regardless of when they take their exam.

Utilizing a blended approach to learning, the PALS course offers the convenience of self-paced study as students work toward certification and continuing medical education credits. Health Education Solutions also offers online certification and recertification for Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). ACLS and PALS courses follow the American Heart Association guidelines and were developed in partnership with Union College.

Through participation in the American Heart Association Enterprise Program, Health Education Solutions additionally offers Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers Online Part 1, Heartsaver® and stroke courses.

Source: Health Education Solutions