2025 Interim Training Materials - ACLS Provider Manual and ACLS for Experienced Providers Manual - and Resource Text Changes

Sep 23, 2026

2025 interim training materials outline updates to the Heart & Stroke Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Provider Manual, the ACLS for Experienced Providers (ACLS EP) Manual, and associated resource text. The guidance supports instructors in preparing students for the new 2025 Guidelines courses while continuing use of current provider materials until updated versions are available. Content includes changes to the Adult Chain of Survival, ventilation targets, cardioversion energy considerations, post–cardiac arrest blood pressure, diagnostic imaging and ultrasound, temperature control strategies, and use of left ventricular assist devices.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Purpose

ACLS Provider Manual Changes

Adult Chain of Survival

Ventilation in Respiratory and Cardiac Arrest

Atrial Fibrillation or Flutter With Rapid Ventricular Response

Blood Pressure in Adults After Cardiac Arrest

Diagnostic Studies for Adults After Cardiac Arrest

Temperature Control After Cardiac Arrest

Left Ventricular Assist Devices

ACLS EP Manual and Resource Text Changes

Intravenous Access Preferred Over Intraosseous

2025 Interim Training Materials: ACLS Provider Manual and ACLS for Experienced Providers Manual and Resource Text Changes Purpose These instructions will help update the current Heart & Stroke Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Provider Manual and ACLS for Experienced Providers (ACLS EP) Manual and Resource Text with science from the guidelines and interim updates released by Heart & Stroke since the 2020 Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. ACLS Instructors: Instructors should print the pertinent section of these materials and provide copies to students when teaching the new 2025 Guidelines courses while using Heart & Stroke 2020 Guidelines provider materials, until our 2025 Guidelines ACLS materials become available. ACLS EP Instructors: Instructors should print the pertinent section of these materials and provide copies to students when teaching the new 2025 Guidelines courses while using Heart & Stroke 2017 ACLS EP provider materials until the ACLS EP Course is updated. Exams and assessments will continue to follow the 2020 Guidelines. ACLS Provider Manual Changes 1. Adult Chain of Survival 2025 Changes • A single Chain of Survival is intended to be applicable to adult and pediatric in-and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. In creating this singular chain, it is acknowledged that, before cardiac arrest, prevention and preparedness can both avoid and optimize resuscitation. − The systems of care guidelines follow the unified cardiac arrest Chain of Survival, beginning with prevention and preparedness to resuscitate, proceeding with early identification of cardiac arrest, and then progressing to effective resuscitation through to post–cardiac arrest care, recovery, and survivorship. The unified cardiac arrest Chain of Survival includes the following links: ▪ Recognition and Emergency Activation ▪ High-Quality CPR ▪ Defibrillation ▪ Advanced Resuscitation ▪ Post–Cardiac Arrest Care ▪ Recovery and Survivorship Apply Here • Part 1: Overview of ACLS − Section: Systems of Care 2. Ventilation in Respiratory and Cardiac Arrest 2025 Changes • When ventilating an adult patient in cardiac arrest, it is reasonable to give enough tidal volume to produce visible chest rise. This can be achieved with about a one-third to one-half-a-bag-squeeze of an adult bag-mask device, depending on the size of the bag. Rescuers should avoid hypoventilation (too few breaths or too little volume) or hyperventilation (too many breaths or too large a volume) . Apply Here • Part 3: High-Performance Teams − Section: Respiratory Arrest 3. Atrial Fibrillation or Flutter With Rapid Ventricular Response 2025 Change • For synchronized cardioversion of atrial fibrillation in adults using any biphasic waveform defibrillator listed on Health Canada's Medical Devices Active License Listing (MDALL), an initial energy setting of at least 200 J is reasonable and incremented in the event of shock failure, depending on the biphasic defibrillator used. • The usefulness of double synchronized cardioversion of atrial fibrillation in adults as an initial treatment strategy is uncertain. • For synchronized cardioversion of atrial flutter in adults, an initial energy setting of 200 J may be reasonable and incremented in the event of shock failure, depending on the biphasic defibrillator used. Apply Here • Part 2: Preventing Arrest − Section: Tachycardia: Stable and Unstable 4. Blood Pressure in Adults After Cardiac Arrest 2025 Change • Hypotension should be avoided in adults after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) by maintaining a minimum mean arterial pressure of at least 65 mm Hg. Apply Here • Part 3: High-Performance Teams − Section: Post–Cardiac Arrest Care 5. Diagnostic Studies for Adults After Cardiac Arrest 2025 Change • It may be reasonable to perform head-to-pelvis computed tomography (CT) for adult patients after ROSC to

FAQs

What is the purpose of these 2025 interim training materials?

They provide instructions to update the current ACLS Provider Manual and ACLS EP Manual and resource text with science from guidelines and interim updates issued by Heart & Stroke since the 2020 CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Guidelines.

How should ACLS instructors prepare students for the 2025 Guidelines courses?

Instructors should print the pertinent sections of these materials and give copies to students while teaching the 2025 Guidelines courses, using Heart & Stroke 2020 Guidelines provider materials until the 2025 ACLS Guidelines materials are available.

What key changes are included in the ACLS Provider Manual section on post–cardiac arrest care?

It includes maintaining a minimum mean arterial pressure of at least 65 mm Hg after ROSC, considering head-to-pelvis CT and echocardiography or point-of-care cardiac ultrasound to investigate etiology and diagnoses, and using temperature control strategies (hypothermic, normothermic, or fever prevention) with a selected target temperature held for at least 36 hours in unresponsive adults.

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by Aria Callaghan