I am currently prepping for the PCCN certification examination. I am currently using the AACN 2013 webinar series and PCCN Exam Review packet by Med ED (Lisa M. Soltis) provided by my hospital's PCCN reviewer. I hope we can utilize this thread to just throw some facts we discover while studying for PCCN that made you think to yourself, "Oh, I didn't know that!" or "Oh, that might be on the exam!"

Anyways:

Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is a condition in which episodes of fast heart rate (called tachycardia) occur because of an abnormal extra electrical pathway in the heart.

-extra electrical pathway between the atria and the ventricles, known as an accessory pathway

-palpitations, dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting

-EKG, valsava

http://www.uptodate.com/contents/wolff-parkinson-white-syndrome-beyond-the-basics

IABP and VAD are not covered in PCCN exam.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is a transient cardiac syndrome that involves left ventricular apical akinesis and mimics acute coronary syndrome. It was first described in Japan in 1990 by Sato et al. Patients often present with chest pain, have ST-segment elevation on electrocardiogram, and elevated cardiac enzyme levels consistent with a myocardial infarction.

Medscape: Medscape Access