Why is Pacing an ALS skill?

[DwayneEMTP]

...All joking aside, this skill is nowhere near the EMT scope for the exact reasons that Island Medic stated. We don't concern ourselves with extensive cardiology. If you take an EKG class, you learn that you put the stickers on the patient, the magicians inside the box tell the paramedic if the person's heart is sick, the paramedic zaps the person's heart after that sometimes...

Not sure if you're serious, but if your medic is trusting the "Doc in the box" then you need to run way...very far away. If I had a nickle for every time I've disagreed with the "Box" or the fewer times I've been humiliated for believing "Him/her", well, I'd still be poor, but am, hopefully much wiser...nickle speaking....

[Richard B the EMT]

Safety and a smooth ride are most important of course. Speeding seldom gains you much time anyways.

You must always balance the Need For Speed, with the Ride that's a Glide.

Hey, there it is, again, in my "signature".

[HellsBells]

What Rhythms did you cover? Are you familiar with type 1-3 degree heart blocks?

[MikeEMT]

What Rhythms did you cover? Are you familiar with type 1-3 degree heart blocks?

No, we covered V-tach and V-fib and learned what a QRS complex is. Though it was such a brief chapter that I dont remember much about the rhythms. I am really interested in cardiology and would like to learn more.

[Lone Star]

If you'd like to learn more, then by all means enroll in a college level Anatomy & Physiology course. Thats good for starters. Additional reading would be things like this:

http://www.emergency...com/default.cfm

Neither will qualify you for performing open heart surgery, but it will give you a better understanding of how your 'ticker' works and WHY it works the way it does.

One of the reasons that EKG interpretation, pacing and manual defibrillation are not taught at the lower license levels is because the rest of your scope of practice will not allow the mitigation of the problems you will potentially face (ie: pharmacological interventions, IV therapy).

Right now, you have no clue what you don't know (this is a phrase you're going to hear frequently, and will drive you bat-shit crazy!). As an EMT-B, you're barely scratching the surface of emergency medicine at the prehospital level.

You're going to hear MANY people advocating pressing for a degree, and you're going to hear people talking about not needing one to be an effective provider. I used to be one of those that argued against the degree (although, to my credit, I NEVER mentioned 'Basketweaving 101'). Since I actually shut my mouth and pushed toward my degree, I found out that it is ESSENTIAL, not only to become a better provider, but to be able to provide better care for any patient I come in contact with.

[island emt]

No, we covered V-tach and V-fib and learned what a QRS complex is. Though it was such a brief chapter that I dont remember much about the rhythms. I am really interested in cardiology and would like to learn more.

You were taught to recognize, the basic two shockable rhythms that an AED will shock.

Did they also teach the causes of these two rhythms?

What I think you were actually taught was an AED will only work if a pt is in V-tach or V-fib, as that is what the EMY-B curriculum covers.

There are many excellent basic cardiology texts available with some online versions available.

Happy reading!

[MikeEMT]

You were taught to recognize, the basic two shockable rhythms that an AED will shock.

Did they also teach the causes of these two rhythms?

What I think you were actually taught was an AED will only work if a pt is in V-tach or V-fib, as that is what the EMY-B curriculum covers.

There are many excellent basic cardiology texts available with some online versions available.

Happy reading!

They did teach us the cause of those two rhythms. Though I am assuming that there is much more to it than what I was taught.

I think I will look into some classes when I figure out my schedule.

[Eydawn]

All joking aside, this skill is nowhere near the EMT scope for the exact reasons that Island Medic stated. We don't concern ourselves with extensive cardiology. If you take an EKG class, you learn that you put the stickers on the patient, the magicians inside the box tell the paramedic if the person's heart is sick, the paramedic zaps the person's heart after that sometimes. We drive fast so that the hospital people can use further witchery to make the person's heart less sick. That's all you need to know. Glory.

Ok, the whole "don't trust the monitor's interpretation- EVER" aside, this is FUNNY AS HELL.

And also a very sad example of why it sucks to be an EMT-B; for all many EMTs know, this is the truth of how it works... "you don't need that book learnin' to be a medic, just do the skills and get them to the hospital..."

I gotta admit, I laughed OUT LOUD at work last night when I read this. Witchery, indeed... :-)

Wendy

CO EMT-B

RN-ADN Student