ACLS-EP.....

needsleep

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Anyone taken this yet? Can you chime in on your experience with the content and your view on the value of the course? I'm current in ACLS, just taking it to hopefully learn more/deeper. I'll be driving about 4.5 hours each way, so I'm hoping to gain a lot from it.

Also, is the textbook essential or required?
 

NomadicMedic

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It's more in-depth and scenario-based. Personally, I find the entire ACLS franchise to be next to useless. it's helpful for new paramedics to learn algorithmic treatment plans... But for anybody who is current on evidence-based practice, it's nothing but a rehash and a merit badge course. They make ACLS palpable to the lowest common denominator. Even the experienced provider course.
 

FiremanMike

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It's more in-depth and scenario-based. Personally, I find the entire ACLS franchise to be next to useless. it's helpful for new paramedics to learn algorithmic treatment plans... But for anybody who is current on evidence-based practice, it's nothing but a rehash and a merit badge course. They make ACLS palpable to the lowest common denominator. Even the experienced provider course.

Do you remember medic school and how terrified you were of megacode? Now we set those up for newbies and I'm like "lol, was I really afraid of this??"
 

DesertMedic66

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Do you remember medic school and how terrified you were of megacode? Now we set those up for newbies and I'm like "lol, was I really afraid of this??"
Yep. I always dreaded it but it was one of the constant stations we had every week. Looking back on it, it seems so easy. Next month my county is moving entirely away from AHA ACLS but it’s going to be a complete cluster and is likely to fail quickly.
 

NPO

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Anyone taken this yet? Can you chime in on your experience with the content and your view on the value of the course? I'm current in ACLS, just taking it to hopefully learn more/deeper. I'll be driving about 4.5 hours each way, so I'm hoping to gain a lot from it.

Also, is the textbook essential or required?
Do yourself a favor and buy the ACLS EP book. The class isn't great from what I've heard, although I've never taken one myself. The book has some interesting nuggets and is a good coffee table reader. if you're a moderately good provider and follow any kind of evidence-based medicine, you will be above and beyond what ACLS can provide you. keep in mind that AHA courses are typically designed for in-hospital providers that typically use these skills less frequently.
Yep. I always dreaded it but it was one of the constant stations we had every week. Looking back on it, it seems so easy. Next month my county is moving entirely away from AHA ACLS but it’s going to be a complete cluster and is likely to fail quickly.
My agency hasn't used AHA in years. We use ASHI, which is better, but still not perfect. We use ASHI for CE and certification purposes, but as far as our own protocols and treatments, they are well outside what any national organization would call normal.
 

DesertMedic66

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Do yourself a favor and buy the ACLS EP book. The class isn't great from what I've heard, although I've never taken one myself. The book has some interesting nuggets and is a good coffee table reader. if you're a moderately good provider and follow any kind of evidence-based medicine, you will be above and beyond what ACLS can provide you. keep in mind that AHA courses are typically designed for in-hospital providers that typically use these skills less frequently. My agency hasn't used AHA in years. We use ASHI, which is better, but still not perfect. We use ASHI for CE and certification purposes, but as far as our own protocols and treatments, they are well outside what any national organization would call normal.
We went away from the standard 30:2 probably 3-5 years ago but still followed along with the medications and time frames. Then we slowly started to limit the epi that was given. Now each agency in the county gets to form their own guidelines and algorithms on how they want a full arrest ran. The issue is that they are agency specific and not county wide. So the way one agency runs a full arrest is going to be very different from the way another one does it. The issue is 99% of all calls in the county have different agencies on scene.
 

NPO

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We went away from the standard 30:2 probably 3-5 years ago but still followed along with the medications and time frames. Then we slowly started to limit the epi that was given. Now each agency in the county gets to form their own guidelines and algorithms on how they want a full arrest ran. The issue is that they are agency specific and not county wide. So the way one agency runs a full arrest is going to be very different from the way another one does it. The issue is 99% of all calls in the county have different agencies on scene.
That does sound like a problem.

I'm sure the AHA would balk at me putting a nasal cannula at 10lpm on my cardiac arrest patient.
 
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