Great site for learning rhythms, and ACLS

[Brownms46]

Here is a site that makes it very easy to learn rhythms, and ACLS. It's free, and it has pop quizes. I hope many of you will find it useful..

http://www.v-tachonline.com/

OOPs...I just looked over the Megacode, and it hasn't been updated with the new ACLS algorhythms. But it's still has some good stuff on it. Sorry about that.

[Love-A-Nurse]

brownie, i have saved it, thanks.

[Sleepyeyes]

Oh, thanks browns!! This looks like even *I* might be able to comprehend it!!

[Brownms46]

You're both welcome. Sleepyeyes...it's a very difficult subject, and it took me a while to get a clue on what was what...when I first started out! I soon found out...some people can just explain it better than others...thank goodness..

[Nurse Ratched, RN]

Wonderful! I am nowhere hear as educated on this as I'd like to be, but I want to know more. This looks like a great way for me to bone up before I take the plunge into the class. Thanks! :)

[fedupnurse]

The best way to learn rhythms is to deal with them regularly. There is a little story to keep blocks straight. I don't remember exactly how it goes but it is something like this:

(Regular Sinus Rhythm) You are dating and getting close (the P and QRS are normal and where they should be). But then, there is some tension. You are still a couple but there is some space between you (first degree AV block). This then leads to a rift in your relationship and you are thinking of seeing someone else (2nd degree type I aka Wenckebach-you have a PR interval that gets longer and longer and then the bastard doesn't show up at all once in a while meaning you have a dropped QRS complex. The R to R interval gets shorter and shorter as well.)

So he's not showing up every once and a while but he can't quite make up his mind so he is still seeing you but the rat fink is seeing someone else on the side. This is 2nd degree type 2 also called 2 to 1 block. This is a misnomer because you can have more than two P waves for each QRS. The key is that there is a steady regular PR interval with each QRS complex.

Well you find out that this stupid jerk is two timing you and you kick his sorry @$$ out. This is 3rd degree AV block aka Complete Heart Block. Here you have P waves that march along regularly and QRS complexes that march along regularly but they aren't speaking to each other and have nothing to do with each other.

I use this with new nurses and it helps them keep it straight.

Thanks for the site Brownie!

[shannonRN, BSN, RN]

thanks for the site brownms46!

that story was too cute fedupnurse!

[shay]

Wow, thanks Brownie!! I added that site to my 'favorites' list!!!