Critical to the appropriate management of the critically ill patient is the ability of the Intensive Care Paramedic to recognise the clinical presentation and physiological consequences of clinical situations that can cause or result in alterations to the normal cardiac rhythm. Based on contemporary clinical understanding and best practice, this foundation subject will cover normal cardiac electrophysiology, the interpretation of 12 lead electrocardiogram to diagnose common causes of rhythm alteration, aberrancy and ectopy, the pathophysiological conditions that can result in an altered cardiac rhythm including the effect of various pharmacological and electrophysiological interventions and the clinical assessment and management strategies that can be implemented to manage cardiac dysrhythmias. This underpinning knowledge is critical to enable appropriate clinical decision making and management when dealing with often complex and interacting pathologies that can cause or result in cardiac dysrhythmias.
This topic aims to develop an advanced level of understanding of the physiological and electrophysiological regulation of the normal cardiac rhythm and the various factors that can result in an altered cardiac rhythm as related to ICP practice which forms the foundation on which sound clinical judgement and practice are to be based.
Timetable details for 2021 are no longer published.