EMS 141 - Cardiovascular Care at Virginia Highlands Community College
Course Description
Effective: 2019-08-01
Focuses on assessment and management of cardiac-related emergencies. Covers basic dysrhythmia recognition and relates it to overall cardiac patient care.
Lecture 2 hours. Total 2 hours per week.
2 credits
General Course Purpose
The purpose of this course is to teach the student principles of assessment and management of cardiac emergencies and to teach basic EKG recognition.
Course Prerequisites/Corequisites
Prerequisite: Current Virginia EMT and CPR certification as approved by the Virginia Office of EMS. Corequisite: EMS 142.
Course Objectives
- Apply fundamental knowledge of anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular system.
- Identify the components and steps used in EKG interpretation
- Interpret basic EKG rhythms including variations in sinus, atrial, junctional, ventricular and heart blocks.
- Identify the correct pharmacological intervention for the cardiovascular patient based on patient presentation
- Differentiate various types of cardiovascular disorders
- Apply fundamental knowledge to provide basic and selected advanced emergency care and transportation based on assessment findings for an acutely ill patient complaining of a cardiac related emergency.
Major Topics to be Included
- Anatomy of the Cardiovascular System Review
- Cardiac layers
- Cardiac chambers, valves, and cordae tendineae
- Myocardial blood supply
- Conduction system
- Vascular system
- Physiology of the Cardiovascular System
- Cardiac cycle
- Cardiac output
- Electrophysiology
- Assessment of the cardiovascular system
- Primary survey for cardiovascular assessment
- History and physical/ SAMPLE format specific to the cardiovascular patient
- Secondary survey for cardiovascular assessment
- Electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring
- Electrophysiology and wave forms related to cardiac events
- Leads and electrodes - preparation and placement
- Standardization
- Wave form analysis
- Lead systems and heart surfaces
- 12 lead monitoring
- Identification of Types of Rhythms
- Sinus rhythms
- Atrial rhythms
- Junctional rhythms
- Tachycardic rhythms
- Bradycardic rhythms
- Heart blocks
- Pulseless rhythms
- Management of the patient with an arrhythmia
- Symptomatic and asymptomatic patients
- Non-invasive interventions
- Pharmacological interventions
- Electrotheraphy interventions
- Cardiovascular specific pharmacology
- Gases
- Sympathomimetic
- Anticholinergic
- Antiarrhythmic
- Beta blocker
- Vasopressor
- Calcium channel blocker
- Purine nucleoside
- Platelet aggregate inhibitor
- Alkalinizing agents
- Cardiac glycoside
- Narcotic/ analgesic
- Diuretic
- Nitrate
- Antihypertensive
- Pathophysiological principles to the assessment of a patient with cardiovascular diseases
- Acute coronary syndrome
- Acute myocardial infarction/angina
- Non-traumatic cardiac tamponade
- Hypertensive emergencies
- Cardiogenic shock
- Cardiac arrest
- Vascular disorders
- Aortic aneurism/dissection
- Infectious diseases of the heart
- Cardiac myopathy
- Specific hypertensive emergencies
- Congenital abnormalities and age-related concerns