June 2005 ALSO Course

On June 28 and 29, under the direction of Lou Sanner, MD, MSPH, first-year residents from the University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine (Madison, Eau Claire, Fox Valley and Baraboo), UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, as well as area community physicians and nurses attended a two-day Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) Course.

The ALSO program, originally conceptualized by James R. Damos, MD, was developed under the leadership of Dr. Damos and John W. Beasley, MD. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) acquired ownership of the ALSO program and its copyright from the University of Wisconsin in 1993. ALSO Provider and Instructor Courses are now administered worldwide throughout Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Hong Kong, Iraq, Kenya, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, the People's Republic of China, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, the United States and West Bank/Gaza.

Using an evidence-based curriculum, the ALSO course provides a short amount of lecture time and many interactive workstations including:

• Perineal laceration repair
• Assisted vaginal delivery
• Ultrasound
• Shoulder dystocia through hands on practice with pelvic mannequins

Nineteen faculty instructors led 50 participants though the course. The ALSO course objectives include the discussion of methods used to manage pregnancy and birth emergencies. The objectives assist in standardizing maternity care provider skills. To pass the course, participants must demonstrate content and skill acquisition through successfully completing a written exam and completing a hands-on megadelivery.

If you are interested in learning more about attending the course or becoming an ALSO certified instructor please contact Lou Sanner, MD, MSPH or Claire Ann Holm at claire.holm@fammed.wisc.edu.