Advanced cardiac life support refers to a set of guidelines used by medical providers to treat life-threatening cardiovascular conditions.

ACLS algorithms frequently address at least five different aspects of peri-cardiac arrest care: Airway management, ventilation, CPR compressions (continued from BLS), defibrillation, and medications.

Dangerous, non-arrest rhythms typically covered includes: narrow- and wide-complex tachycardias, torsades de pointe, atrial fibrillation/flutter with rapid ventricular response, and bradycardia.

Common team roles include: Leader, back-up leader, 2 CPR performers, an airway/respiratory specialist, an IV access and medication administration specialist, a monitor/ defibrillator attendant, a pharmacist, a lab member to send samples, and a recorder to document the treatment.

Some ACLS providers may be required to strictly adhere to these guidelines, however physicians may generally deviate to pursue different evidence-based treatment, especially if they are addressing an underlying cause of the arrest and/or unique aspects of a patient's care.

[5] Initial training usually takes around 15 hours and includes both classroom instruction and hands-on simulation experience; passing a test, with a practical component, at the end of the course is usually the final requirement to receive certification.

[6] After receiving initial certification, providers must usually recertify every two years in a class with similar content that lasts about seven hours.

Data generally demonstrates that patients have better survival outcomes (increased ROSC, increased survival to hospital discharge and/or superior neurological outcomes) when they receive ACLS;[7] however a large study of ROC patients showed that this effect may only be if ACLS is delivered in the first six minutes of arrest.

[9] One study from 1998 looked at the ACLS use of epinephrine, atropine, bicarbonate, calcium, lidocaine, and bretylium in cardiac arrests and found that these medications were not associated with higher resuscitation rates.

Active areas of research include determining the value of vasopressors in arrests,[11] ideal airway use[12] and different waveforms for defibrillation.

[13] Stemming from the need for standardized, evidence based ACLS guidelines, an international network of academic resuscitation organizations was created.