Patients with a heart rate less than 60 are bradycardic. Some people can have a resting heart rate in the 40s without any compromise. For others, a heart rate of 50 or less could signify the need for immediate intervention and warrants additional assessment.

Signs & symptoms that indicate a bradycardic patient is unstable.

Monitoring oxygen saturation with pulse oximetry and indications for administration of oxygen.

Calcium channel blockers and beta blocker medication as treatable causes of bradycardia.

The indications and dosage of Atropine.

Precautions for Atropine use in patients with second or third degree AV blocks.

The use of transcutaneous pacing (TCP) for unstable bradycardic patients refractory to Atropine.

The use and dosing of Dopamine and Epinephrine drips.

For additional information about causes and treatment of bradycardia, check out the pod resources page at PassACLS.com.

Good luck with your ACLS class!

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Practice ECG rhythms at Dialed Medics - https://dialedmedics.com/

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The goal of CPR is to keep the brain and vital organs perfused until return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) is achieved.

Post-arrest care and recovery are the final two links in the chain of survival.

Identification of ROSC during CPR.

Initial patient management goals after identifying ROSC.

The patient’s GCS/LOC should be evaluated to determine if targeted temperature management (TTM) is indicated.

Patients that cannot obey simple commands should receive TTM for at least 24 hours.

Recently published studies on TTM and ACLS’s current standard.

Monitoring the patient’s core temperature during TTM.

Patients can undergo EEG, CT, MRI, & PCI while receiving TTM.

Good luck with your ACLS class!

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Practice ECG rhythms at Dialed Medics - https://dialedmedics.com/

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The chain of survival for ACLS is the same as was learned in your BLS class.

The beginning steps of the Cardiac Emergency and Stroke chain of survival.

ACLS's timed goals for first medical contact to PCI for STEMI and door-to-needle for ischemic stroke.

Characteristics of areas that have significantly better stroke and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes.

Good luck with your ACLS class!

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Practice ECG rhythms at Dialed Medics - https://dialedmedics.com/

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Heart muscle contraction and repolarization is dependent on Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium ions crossing cellular membranes.

When a patient’s potassium levels get too low or too high, hypokalemia or hyperkalemia results respectively.

Two things that may lead us to suspect hypo or hyperkalemia.

Medical conditions & medications that can cause potassium imbalance.

ECG changes seen in hypo and hyperkalemia.

Critical lab values that would indicate a need for treatment.

Emergent, ACLS interventions for hypokalemia and hyperkalemia.

Additional information on causes of hypo and hyperkalemia can be found on Ninja Nerd podcast. Check out the pod resources page at passacls.com.

Good luck with your ACLS class!

Buy Me a Coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/paultaylor

Practice ECG rhythms at Dialed Medics - https://dialedmedics.com/

Free Prescription Discount Card - Download your free drug discount card to save money on prescription medications for you and your pets: https://safemeds.vip

Pass ACLS Web Site - Episode archives & other ACLS-related podcasts: https://passacls.com

@Pass-ACLS-Podcast on LinkedIn

When treating patients having an MI or stroke, more minutes equals more dead cells.

Because the majority of strokes are the ischemic type, the treatment for stroke is similar to an MI – to reestablish perfusion to the ischemic tissues.

The first four steps in the Stroke Chain of Survival.

Time criteria for the administration of tPA (or a similar fibrinolytic medication) or EVT of LVO strokes.

Stroke benchmarks for door to:

• assessment;
• completing a non-contrast CT; and
• administration of fibrinolytic medication such as tPA (door-to-needle).

EMS interaction with stroke teams and destination protocols to reduce time to definitive care.

The difference for timed goals for the identification & treatment of AMI vs Stroke.

Additional information about timed goals for stroke and how EMS affects outcomes, can be found on the PassACLS.com pod resources page.

Good luck with your ACLS class!

Buy Me a Coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/paultaylor

Practice ECG rhythms at Dialed Medics - https://dialedmedics.com/

Free Prescription Discount Card - Download your free drug discount card to save money on prescription medications for you and your pets: https://safemeds.vip

Pass ACLS Web Site - Episode archives & other ACLS-related podcasts: https://passacls.com

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Adenosine is the first IV medication given to stable patients with sustained supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) refractory to vagal maneuvers.

Symptoms indicating a stable vs unstable patient.

Common causes of tachycardia.

Cardiac effects of Adenosine.

Indications for use in the ACLS Tachycardia algorithm.

Considerations and contraindications.

Adenosine as a diagnostic for patients in A-Fib or A-Flutter with RVR.

Dosing and administration.

Other podcasts that cover common ACLS antiarrhythmics in more detail and another covering Brugata Criteria used to differentiate V-Tach from SVT with an aberrancy, can be found on the Pod Resources page at passacls.com.

Good luck with your ACLS class!

Buy Me a Coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/paultaylor

Practice ECG rhythms at Dialed Medics - https://dialedmedics.com/

Free Prescription Discount Card - Download your free drug discount card to save money on prescription medications for you and your pets: https://safemeds.vip

Pass ACLS Web Site - Episode archives & other ACLS-related podcasts: https://passacls.com

@Pass-ACLS-Podcast on LinkedIn

To pass the written ACLS exam and mega code, students need to be able to identify basic ECG dysrhythmias, including the two types of second-degree heart block.

One method of ECG rhythm identification is to ask a series of questions such as:

• What's the rate (<60, 60-100, 101-149, or >150);
• Is the rhythm regular or irregular;
• What's the shape, width, and frequency of P waves and QRS complexes; and
• What's the P-R interval and is it constant?

ECG characteristics of a second-degree Mobitz type I (Wenckebach).

Identification of unstable bradycardia and its treatment with Atropine.

ECG characteristics of a second-degree Mobitz type II.

Possible effect of using Atropine on patients with a second-degree type II AV block.

Treatment of unstable bradycardic patients refractory to Atropine using TCP, Dopamine, or Epinephrine drip.

Starting dose and titration of Dopamine and Epinephrine drips.

Good luck with your ACLS class!

Buy Me a Coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/paultaylor

Practice ECG rhythms at Dialed Medics - https://dialedmedics.com/

Free Prescription Discount Card - Download your free drug discount card to save money on prescription medications for you and your pets: https://safemeds.vip

Pass ACLS Web Site - Episode archives & other ACLS-related podcasts: https://passacls.com

@Pass-ACLS-Podcast on LinkedIn

The Curious Clinicians: History of Doctor Wenckebach & Mobitz

https://curiousclinicians.com/2022/07/06/episode-52-way-back-wenckebach/

When treating patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS), MONA is an acronym sometimes used to help us remember the initial interventions.

The O in MONA is Oxygen.

When we should administer oxygen to ACS patients.

When O2 administration is unnecessary based on an accurate pulse ox.

Monitoring patient's oxygen saturation (SaO2) using a pulse oximeter.

Review two common ACLS pre-arrest mega code scenarios.

Oxygen administration during CPR and post cardiac arrest.

You can find additional medical podcasts that cover ACLS-related topics, on the Pod Resources page at PassACLS.com

Good luck with your ACLS class!

Buy Me a Coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/paultaylor

Practice ECG rhythms at Dialed Medics - https://dialedmedics.com/

Free Prescription Discount Card - Download your free drug discount card to save money on prescription medications for you and your pets: https://safemeds.vip

Pass ACLS Web Site - Episode archives & other ACLS-related podcasts: https://passacls.com

@Pass-ACLS-Podcast on LinkedIn

Check out ConveyMed.io for more free online medical education (#FOAMed) opportunities.