ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT

What is Advanced Life Support?

The services provided by a qualified paramedic (level 7 and 8 as defined by the Health Professions Council of South Africa below) and supported by appropriate equipment and medical supplies are usually referred to as "Advanced life-support" services. It is this service that CMR provide.

The various levels defined by the Health Professions Council of South Africa are:

Basic First Aid (BFA) - levels 1 to 4
This entails first aid, basic CPR, stopping bleeding and splinting.

BAA Level 5
BAA’s are also called Basic Life-Support Paramedics or BLS.
Although their training provides them with a greater understanding of human anatomy and physiology than the BFA (above), they may still perform only the basic activities as listed above plus assess vital signs and administer glucose orally and administer oxygen. They may not give any injections, administer any drugs or put up any drips.

Ambulance Emergency Assistant (AEA) - level 6
AEA’s are also called Intermediate Life-Support Paramedics or ILS.
In addition to the capabilities of the BAA, the AEA may "put up" drips, give medication in selected cases, give oral aspirin in selected cardiac cases, give intravenous dextrose and - in emergency conditions - use a needle to penetrate the patient's throat or chest wall. The AEA may not administer drugs or incubate a patient, and is restricted to BAA activities (above) on any patient less than twelve years of age. What is important to understand in terms of all the above six levels is that in virtually all cases, medical assistance from the local "emergency" services will mostly be restricted to level 5 activities - that is, basic first aid, basic CPR, stopping bleeding, etc. They cannot assist in more "serious" medical emergency situations.

Paramedic - levels 7 and 8
Also called Advanced Life-Support Paramedics.The ALS Paramedic has a much wider scope of responsibilities, and may give emergency drugs to resuscitate a patient or to relieve pain; perform a number of "invasive activities" according to the needs of the situation; put a patient on a ventilator; use a heart defibrillator; etc. In many situations, the paramedic is more experienced in emergency medical treatment than the family general practitioner.