Pass ACLS Tip of the Day Paul Taylor

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.
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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. 
Review the first four steps in the Stroke Chain of Survival.
Time criteria for the administration of tPA or EVT of LVO strokes.
Stroke benchmarks for door to:
assessment;completing a non-contrast CT; andadministration of 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.
Connect with me:
Website:  https://passacls.com
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Good luck with your ACLS class!

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.
Connect with me:
Website:  https://passacls.com
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@Pass-ACLS-Podcast on LinkedIn

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Good luck with your ACLS class!

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 (150); Is the rhythm regular or irregular;What's the shape, width, and frequency of P waves and QRS complexes; andWhat'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.
Connect with me:
Website:  https://passacls.com
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Give back - buy Paul a bubble tea here

Good luck with your ACLS class!
The Curious Clinicians: History of Doctor Wenckebach & Mobitz
Practice ECGs with rationale at Dialed Medics

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.
Connect with me:
Website:  https://passacls.com
@PassACLS on X (formally known as Twitter)
@Pass-ACLS-Podcast on LinkedIn

Give back - buy Paul a bubble tea here

Good luck with your ACLS class!
Check out ConveyMed.io for more online and streaming medical education opportunities.
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Along with early defibrillation, high quality CPR with minimal interruptions is one of the two factors that has been shown to improve cardiac arrest outcomes.
How do we know if high quality, effective CPR is being performed?
Objective measures of high-quality CPR include:
Compression rate;Compression depth & recoil;ETCO2; and Chest Compression Fraction (CCF).
The role of the CPR coach on the code team.
The advantages and use of real-time feedback devices to monitor the rate, depth, and chest recoil of CPR compressions.
The use of end tidal waveform capnography.
A no-tech way to monitor effective CPR if a compression feedback device or ETCO2 capnography isn’t available.
Connect with me:
Website:  https://passacls.com
@PassACLS on X (formally known as Twitter)
@Pass-ACLS-Podcast on LinkedIn

Give back - buy Paul a bubble tea here

Good luck with your ACLS class!