Cardiac arrest patients are as sick as they come. ACLS is intended as protocolized medicine that any trained provider can administer. However, we are not just “any provider”. As EM physicians we should be master resuscitationists. Here are some ideas to take your care for cardiac arrest patients to the next level.

• Intra-arrest care from EMCrit: http://emcrit.org/podcasts/new-intra-arrest/
• Several posts from a series from Rebel EM:
  • “Hand on” defibrillation and Epi drips: http://rebelem.com/beyond-acls-cpr-defibrillation-and-epinephrine/
  • A more cognitive approach to PEA arrest (repeat from previous but really good so deserves repeating): http://rebelem.com/a-new-pulseless-electrical-activity-algorithm/
  • Post-arrest care – consider cath for ALL post-arrest patients, not just confirmed STEMIs: http://rebelem.com/beyond-acls-cpr-cath-new-accaha-cardiac-arrest-algorithm/

Tons of ACS stuff out there, so I cut it down to some high-yield highlights. Enjoy!

• You know that obvious STEMI needs to go to the cath lab, but who else needs acute PCI? Find out in this podcast from EMCrit and Steve Smith from Dr Smith’s ECG Blog: http://emcrit.org/podcasts/who-needs-acute-pci/ http://emcrit.org/podcasts/who-needs-an-acute-pci-ii/
• Discussion of management of low risk chest pain with Amal Mattu on ERCast: http://blog.ercast.org/amal-mattu-low-risk-chest-pain/
• More on the HEART score for risk stratification: http://rebelem.com/is-it-time-to-start-using-the-heart-pathway-in-the-emergency-department/

• Great podcast from EMCrit on nuances of Aortic Dissection management: http://emcrit.org/podcasts/aortic-dissection/
• Think you need a CTA or TEE to diagnose dissection?  Try your bedside ultrasound skills!
  • http://www.ultrasoundoftheweek.com/uotw-17/
  • http://www.aliem.com/ultrasound-win-case-93f-chest-pain/
• Bonus: Suprasternal notch view to assess the aortic arch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2Ger1eqdic
• Review of Congenital Heart Disease from Don’t Forget the Bubbles: http://dontforgetthebubbles.com/congenital-heart-disease-pem/
• EMRAP on Tet Spells: https://www.emrap.org/episode/april2015/mizuhofilestet

Some great cardiac stuff relating to the workshops today:

• Ultrasound – is that just an effusion or is it tamponade?  Watch to find out how to tell. Also, some stuff on US-guided pericardiocentesis at the end of the first videocast:
  • http://www.ultrasoundpodcast.com/2013/11/pericardial-tamponade-learn-know-foamed/
  • http://www.ultrasoundpodcast.com/2013/12/pericardial-tamponade-part-2-cases-foamed/
• Critically ill CHF patients come in two flavors – the extremely hypertensive flash pulmonary edema variety, and the hypotensive cardiogenic shock patients. A podcast from EmCrit on the former: http://emcrit.org/podcasts/scape/
• And a review from Rebel EM on the latter: http://rebelem.com/cardiogenic-shock/