On A Side Note....

YAY!

Glad that's over.

I scored 100% on the exam and managed the megacode as well as I could.
Ultimately my "patient" died, but...hey...that's just what happens sometimes.
The megacode ran the gamut of arrhythmias, back and forth between having a pulse and
being pulseless, up down and all around with electricity and meds.
Oh, yeah...and...he wanted me to calculate a Dopamine drip
off the top of my just head for kicks and giggles.

But that's not why I'm posting today.

Nope.

I just wanted to mention that I've taken ACLS many times.

For whatever reason THIS year they REALLY seemed to drive home the importance

of checking a blood sugar for any unresponsive/neurologically impaired patient.

I know it's not that I'm just hypersensitive to the words

"BLOOD GLUCOSE".

This would be the 3rd time I've taken ACLS since her diagnosis in 2005.

But THIS time, they reiterated it over and over and over.

In the lecture.

In the films.

In the hands on review.

"EVERYONE who is unresponsive or showing signs of neurologic impairment gets a 
blood glucose check stat."

I know it's always been there.

I know it's a standard of care for all EMS and first responders.

I.   know.   that.

It's just that the magnitude of how important checking a blood glucose as quickly as possible

has never been emphasized as much during any ACLS class that I've ever taken before.

(By the way, that would include multiple hospitals based as well as EMS run programs in 3 states on two sides of the country!)

Today, I left that classroom with my shiny new ACLS card in hand, feeling refreshed about the management of algorithms for tachycardia, bradycardia, wide complex, narrow complex...
oh yeah...and dead.

More than that, however, I left feeling confident that if Sugar were to be found
alone unresponsive, confused, or otherwise appearing to be neurologically impaired
(regardless whether or not she had a medical ID on her person),
SOMEONE would know to
check her blood sugar STAT.

Because it doesn't matter how prepared you are to pace, cardiovert, defibrillate, 

or administer an antiarrhythmic medication...

In the end, none of it is going to help, 

if a blood sugar emergency doesn't get corrected!!!!

In Hiding

Just wanted to pop in to let everyone know that I'm still alive!

I'm taking an ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) class this weekend.

I've taken this class at least 8 times by now.

There have been a gazillion changes over the years,

so I prefer to take the 2 day refresher course every 2 years

as opposed to the 1 day recert (that would take less of my blogging time.)

Pssst...between you and me...you know what?

It ties my stomach in knots EV.ER.Y.TIME!!!

With that, I'm off to find some practice scenarios.

And prepare for the megacode tomorrow!

Be back soon!

PS -- For my pals who can relate to the ACLS anxt, I found this awesome site for studying!

From My Candy (ACLS) Heart To Yours,