ACLS Certification

[Java Mama]

Hello,

I work on a busy hospital med/surg floor with-out telemetry (all other floors have). They are now turning our floor to a monitored floor in a few months and we all now have to take ACLS classes. The problem is, most of us can't read strips, let alone understand the complexity of irregular rhythms. Seems like this could be dangerous for the patients if you don't have experienced RN's that know what they are reading. We have ICU, IMC, PCU x2, surgical and OB's. Just reviewing "the basics" is hard enough to grasp, let alone this other material we have to learn. Can anyone give me some advice on the best way to learn this (a way that it's really broken down easily to learn)? Thanks :)

[Biffbradford]

The place to start is with the emergent:

Ventricular tachycardia (VT, Vtach)

Ventricular fibrillation (VF, Vfib)

3rd degree block

Superventricular tachycardia (SVT)

Atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response (Afib w/ RVR)

Don't get too hung up in all the details. Be able to spot these and know the treatments and you'll cover >95% of the cases.

And recognize that the monitors have pretty good algorithms to spot the lethal rhythms.

If the rate is greater than 50 and less than 110, it's not likely to be an emergency.

Start with Thaler's book and go from there.

Right on.

Is it a lethal rhythm or not?

Is lethal? Can I shock it? Then I'm gonna shock it!

Can I pace it? Then I'm gonna pace it.

It's not so bad. :)

In 3 hospitals over 19 years, I can't remember a cardiologist or electrophysiologist ever saying "ECG". It's always been "EKG".

[Brwnidbeauty, BSN]

Right on.

Is it a lethal rhythm or not?

Is lethal? Can I shock it? Then I'm gonna shock it!

Can I pace it? Then I'm gonna pace it.

It's not so bad. :)

In 3 hospitals over 19 years, I can't remember a cardiologist or electrophysiologist ever saying "ECG". It's always been "EKG".

I agree

[bgxyrnf, MSN, RN]

Superventricular tachycardia (SVT)

Ewww.... I just noticed the typo...

It's not SUPERventricular... which would mean exceedingly powerful, rapid ventricular beats

It's SUPRAventricular... as in the origin being above the ventricles.

Going all grammar Nazi on myself.

[bgxyrnf, MSN, RN]

In 3 hospitals over 19 years, I can't remember a cardiologist or electrophysiologist ever saying "ECG". It's always been "EKG".

Our EMR orders explicitly say "EKG," not "ECG." I'm not sure I've ever heard a doc of any flavor refer to it as anything but "EKG" which isn't surprising given how strongly the field of medicine values history and tradition.

[emtpbill, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

I remember years ago (and this is just a convo I had with a cardiologist) while talking with a doctor about ecg and ekg he told me that the reason it's not commonly called ecg is because it sounds too closely to EEG and they don't want orders to get confused.