ACLS Megacode Scenario 1 | ACLS-Algorithms.com

Comments

  1. Stanley Harris says

    This patient presented to ER with good vital signs, lungs clear, no difficulty breathing. Why start the O2 @ 2 LPM at this point? Thought the current guidelines were to be more conservative with O2 therapy.

    • Jeff with admin. says

      Good point. Thanks for pointing this out. This was inadvertently left in the scenario when it was last updated. Yes, AHA is using a more conservative approach to the use of oxygen, and oxygen would not need to be applied unless the oxygen saturation is less than 94%. “administer oxygen and titrate therapy to provide the lowest administered oxygen concentration that will maintain the oxyhemoglobin saturation 94%.”

      I appreciate the feedback.

      Kind regards,
      Jeff

  2. IAMMD says

    DO YOU HAVE ANY GOOD PNEUMONICS. IE SHOCK, SHOCK, SHOCK EVERYBODY SHOCK. BIG SHOCK , LITTLE SHOCK, MAMA SHOCK PAPA SHOCK.

    • Jeff with admin. says

      Unstable tachycardia with a pulse is always treated with synchronized cardioversion unless the defibrillator machine cannot synchronize with the patients rhythm.

      If the defibrillator machine cannot synchronize with the patients rhythm then you would use on synchronize cardioversion which is also known as defibrillation.

      Please let me know if you have any other questions.

      Kind regards,
      Jeff

  3. Elaine McKinney says

    Enjoyed taking this test I felt I have learned somethings. The questions and answers are a wonderful tool THANKS

  4. Fiona Higgins says

    This answer to question 5 of 12 on the ACLS megacode simulator cannot be to give 5 cycles of CPR after 120j defibrillation. That is just ridiculous!

    • Jeff with admin. says

      The American Heart Association AC LS provider manual Pg. 98 states: “immediately resume CPR, beginning with chest compressions. Do not perform a rhythm or pulse check at this point unless the patient is showing signs of life or advanced monitoring indicates ROSC.”

      The rationale for this is that when a heart is in cardiac arrest and defibrillation results in conversion to an organized rhythm, it can take a few moments for ROSC to occur. The full two minutes of CPR allows for the heart to progress to a sufficient cardiac output.

      Kind regards,
      Jeff

      • Fiona Higgins says

        Hi Jeff,
        thanks for the reply. I understand that CPR has to be started. I just thought that going in with 5 cycles was excessive before checking for a pulse. As you said above, two minutes (1 cycle) allows the heart to progress to sufficient cardiac output.

        I’m guessing the answer of 5 cycles assumes a pulse check after the first round.

        Fiona

      • Jeff with admin. says

        CPR without an advanced airway in place is performed at 30:2. This is 30 chest compressions to every 2 respirations. 1 of these rounds is considered one cycle of CPR. Five of these (5 cycles) should be completed prior to performing a pulse check.

        Kind regards,

        Jeff

    • Jeff with admin. says

      You would want to wait for at least one full cycle of CPR (2 minutes) before giving the 2nd dose of amiodarone. This would ensure full circulation of the first dose after 2 minutes of high-quality CPR.
      Kind regards,
      Jeff

  5. obusby says

    Hi jeff.took my acls yesterday.noticed they changed format that is very similar to you teaching for mat.needless to say I scored 100% on test. Ya baby
    Thank you for your website.I have told many people about it…

  6. trudy66 says

    Jeff
    Out biphasic defibrillator is 200J MAX. These scenarios say 120, 200 and 300j in that order. Is this by chance using a monophasic defirillator.

    • Jeff with admin. says

      There are some defibrillators that have a maximum setting of 200 J. This is OK (see below). There are other biphasic defibrillator’s that go up to 360 J.

      Many of the newer models have a max of 200 J. This is because 200 J has been found to be sufficient for conversion in almost all cases if VF and VT.

      I think that the American Heart Association will soon adjuster guidelines to account for this.

      Kind regards,
      Jeff

    • Michael Lowe says

      In 30 years the AHA has continually maintained escalation of energy protocol. This will not change and if you are unfortunate enough to have a Zoll, Phillips or another brand that only charges to 200 Joules, your patient suffers. Usually this is due to cost, a defib that max energy is 200 j is considerable less than one that can escalate to 360j, which may save your patients life. Are we allowing people to not be resuscitated because we want to save few dollars? I trained as a flight medic in the Army and was field paramedic for 12 years and always had the ability to escalate energy. What do you do when you shock your patient with 200j, it does not convert? Try another 200 j that wont convert? Troubling issus

    • Jeff with admin. says

      For the purposes of the type of shock delivery two things matter.

      1. Whether a pulse is present. If a pulse is present, attempt synchronized cardioversion. If the machine will not synchronize with the heart then use defibrillation (unsynchronized cardioversion)
      2. Whether the defibrillator will synchronize with the rhythm. If the machine will not synchronize with the heart then use defibrillation (unsynchronized cardioversion)

      Kind regards,
      Jeff

  7. Kenneth Wright says

    Hi Jeff.
    I do not fully understand defibrillation and cardio version.
    Is cardioversion to convert a synchronized rhythm such as v-tach and defibrillation to stop an unsychronized rhythm such as V-fib so the heart can restart as regular sinus rhythm?
    Best regards.
    Ken

    • Jeff with admin. says

      First let me clairify this. When the word cardioversion is used it typically means synchronized cardioversion. When the word defibrillation is used it means unsynchronized cardioversion.

      So you have synchronized cardioversion and unsynchronized cardioversion. The word synchronized is used because it means that the timing of the administration of the electrial shock is synchronized with the impulse of the heart so that it can be delivered at a specific time during the impulse of the heart.

      When a defibrillation is delivered, it is not timed (not synchronized) with the electrical impulse of the heart. It is an immediate blunt delivery of electricity.

      Here is a page that may help explain this further: synchronized vs. unsynchronized cardioversion

      Kind regards,
      Jeff

    • Jeff with admin. says

      I think you will find that it helps considerably. If you have any questions, feel free to comment or send an email through the admin menu at the top. There is a link titled “contact.” Kind regards, Jeff

    • Jeff with admin. says

      The defibrillator is programmed to recognize the peak of the R-wave, and then times the shock to be delivered on or just after the R-wave. This is why there may be a slight delay in the shock while the defibrillator is calculating the shock delivery time.

      With cardioversion, the objective is to avoid shocking the patient during repolarization of the heart.

      Kind regards,
      Jeff

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