Cardiac Arrest with Dextrocardia

Hockey

Hockey

Quackers
Messages
1,222
Reaction score
6
Points
38
First run in with someone with Dextrocardia. Pretty neat.

Anyone ever run an arrest with someone with Dextrocardia? Anything different besides pad placement?
 
Were you provided this as part of a medical history? I can't imagine walking into a room and saying "wow look at that patient! I'd better check to see where his heart is!"
 
Simusid said:
Were you provided this as part of a medical history? I can't imagine walking into a room and saying "wow look at that patient! I'd better check to see where his heart is!"
Click to expand...


I have x-ray vision



It wasn't an arrest, but everybody dies and I was wondering if/when the time comes kind of deal. Common person we've ran on
 
Hockey said:
First run in with someone with Dextrocardia. Pretty neat.

Anyone ever run an arrest with someone with Dextrocardia? Anything different besides pad placement?
Click to expand...

Very cool! (for us atleast)

You have any of the ECGs?
 
Sam Adams said:
Very cool! (for us atleast)

You have any of the ECGs?
Click to expand...

Nope forgot to grab a copy after dropped it in the box.

Only did a 4 lead. It looked just like a normal 4 lead.

With the 4 lead you keep the leads normal. I played around and switched em around but it looked all screwy.

But with 12 lead, thats when you flip everything in reverse.

On the other hand, I had a lady with a demand pacemaker and she didn't tell us anything about it even after asking. Well all of a sudden that nice NSR went into what looked like almost like Vtach. I didn't catch the spikes at first but it made me certainly do the pucker factor for a second since she wasn't feeling too hot anyway. Not really too familiar with it but will definitely be reading up more about em since they were only covered for a short time in class
 
Last edited by a moderator:
http://www.emsworld.com/print/EMS-World/Clinical-Review--Dextrocardia/1$15158

ems world did a few pages on Dextrocardia a month or two back. it is very interesting.
 
Anything different besides pad placement?
Click to expand...

I say just do anterior/posterior placement on everyone and don't worry about it. Besides, with that placement you have a more direct route to the heart than the standard placement.
 
I've considered always using anterior-posterior position just for that reason (well as the most important one). Though, some diagrams instruct that A-P should be done slightly to the left, to better be over the heart...depending on person's size it seems one could miss the main bulk of it if it's placed only in the midline (regardless of what size their heart is one).
 
Well, the more obvious reason for a slightly off center alignment is the presence of the vertebral column. You think fat, skin, muscle and lung have a high resistance to electrical conductance....take a look at bone.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top