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Advanced cardiac life support, advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS) refers to a set of clinical guidelines established by the American Heart Association (AHA) for the urgent and emergent treatment of life-threatening cardiovascular conditions that will cause or have caused cardiac arrest, using advanced medical procedures, medications, and techniques.
Transcutaneous pacing is no longer indicated for the treatment of asystole (cardiac arrest associated with a "flat line" on the ECG), with the possible exception of witnessed asystole (as in the case of bifascicular block that progresses to complete heart block without an escape rhythm).
According to the ACLS protocol, people with WPW who are experiencing rapid abnormal heart rhythms (tachydysrhythmias) may require synchronized electrical cardioversion if they are demonstrating severe signs or symptoms (for example, low blood pressure or lethargy with altered mental status). If they are relatively stable, medication may be used.
The core algorithm of ALS that is invoked when cardiac arrest has been confirmed, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), relies on the monitoring of the electrical activity of the heart on a cardiac monitor. Depending on the type of cardiac arrhythmia, defibrillation and/or medication may be administered.
They may be classified into narrow and wide complex based on the QRS complex. [10] Equal or less than 0.1s for narrow complex. [11] Presented in order of most to least common, they are: [10] Narrow complex Sinus tachycardia, which originates from the sino-atrial (SA) node, near the base of the superior vena cava; Atrial fibrillation; Atrial flutter
The electrocardiogram (ECG) would appear as a narrow-complex SVT. Between episodes of tachycardia the affected person is likely to be asymptomatic; however, the ECG would demonstrate the classic delta wave in Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome. [2]
An idioventricular rhythm is a cardiac rhythm characterized by a rate of <50 beats per minute (bpm), absence of conducted P waves and widening of the QRS complex. [1] In cases where the heart rate is between 50 and 110 bpm, it is known as accelerated idioventricular rhythm and ventricular tachycardia if the rate exceeds 120 bpm.
Junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET) is a rare tachycardia caused by increased automaticity of the AV node itself initiating frequent heartbeats. On the ECG, junctional tachycardia often presents with abnormal morphology P-waves that may fall anywhere in relation to a regular, narrow QRS complex. It is often due to drug toxicity. [22]