At some point in your career, you have probably dealt with a patient who was hyperventilating. This is generally referred to as respirations greater than 20 per minute. When respirations become much faster than that, oxygen levels drop and your patient begins to feel lightheaded or dizzy. However, even when your patient cannot control his [...]
When treating any patient, it is important to recognize what underlying concerns could be causing the present issue. Not only will this help you decide upon the correct treatment method, but also it will help you treat your patient in a more time-conscious manner. This is particularly important when treating patients with life-threatening conditions. When [...]
An in-depth look at ACLS and PALS certification classes and their respective study booklets will quickly show you that there are numerous medications that can be used for every algorithm. While all of these medications are important and will probably be used on your floor or in your emergency department at one point or another, some of them are more likely to be seen on your certification examination and during your mega code. Therefore, focusing on the classification, dosages and usages of the following medications is most helpful for your limited study time.
Knowing what to expect when you are facing anything new can mean the difference between feeling deep anxiety or confidence. This is no different when it comes to ACLS training and testing.
Because ventricular fibrillation, or V-fib, is so commonly seen and is so dangerous, it's typically a primary focus in any ACLS class. However, you should also focus sufficient time on the following two algorithms, frequently forgotten by well-meaning students.
As a health care professional, your time is valuable. Working such a demanding job can take a toll on your mind and your body, and you need to treat your time off work as something incredibly important. Although continuing education is vital to maintaining your professional certifications and state licensure, you certainly do not want [...]
One of the biggest differences between having a BLS certification and a more advanced ACLS certification is the difference in what you will be allowed to do during a code. While BLS focuses on the basic life support skills of CPR, ACLS builds on that information with more advanced knowledge of how to respond to [...]
Advanced cardiac life support certification or ACLS is a great training class for many types of health care providers, especially for those who are frequently called upon to provide direct life-saving care to their patients. Even if your nursing unit or health care organization does not require you to carry this certification, you may be [...]
The key to responding appropriately to your patients when they’re in life-threatening situations is to be able to recognize what the problem is quickly and to get them the appropriate treatment without delay. However, their symptoms may not always match up with what you believe the EKG rhythm is showing. One of the most potent [...]
Do you know what to do in a life-threatening emergency? When someone’s heart stops, you can’t simply rely on what you’ve seen on television shows to guide your resuscitation attempts. Instead, you need solid, science-based knowledge. AEDs have proven to be the best options for saving lives in many scenarios, especially in out-of-hospital, community emergencies. [...]
