ACLS study??

[APACHE3]

Should I "study" extra for ACLS? I have the course next week. I wont get the official books until then.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[BMT]

Dont freak out, its only ACLS! Go to your nearest medical library or the dept library and borrow an ACLS manual. They will have tons of old copies. Listen carefully to the class and after day1 when you do have the new book read all the questions after each chapter. They WILL be repeated. most of them atleast. 😎 BMT

 

[BStein76]

Should I "study" extra for ACLS? I have the course next week. I wont get the official books until then.

I used the algorithms embedded in Circulation 2005;112 for the newest ACLS guidelines (for ex. 1 shock in vfib/pulseless vtach instead of 3 shocks). For our ACLS course we had to know the algorithms for the megacode for pulseless vtach/vfib, asystole, bradycardia and tachycardia.

 

[APACHE3]

I knew they had updated ACLS. I have the circulation article plus a review book from McGraw-Hill. I'll study the questions at the end of each chapter!!!! Thanks

 

[remedios]

For people who failed the test in our course, there was only a remediation in which they just went over the questions with you.

I skimmed the packet slightly, but overall it's pretty straight forward stuff (esp if you did a cards elective in med school).

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Should I "study" extra for ACLS?

As a former (and future) ACLS Instructor.....no, not really....but it never hurts to actually know what is going on beforehand. Pass rates in classes I have taught have ranged from 90% to under 30% (the latter being in courses for the US military, mainly because the nurses expected to be rubberstamped because they were officers and outranked me)

 

[inositide]

The ACLS post course exam was open book. Is that not the case everywhere?
Anyway, there does is not much penalty attached for getting less than 84%.

 

[megacolon]

I've shared with several colleagues about how awful the actual ACLS book really is. For someone who tried to read the book beforehand to gain a little extra info before the course started, I found it to be a waste of time. You can really condense what you need to know and remember from the book into 10-20 pages instead of 250. My advice is to look over the pretest...you can always download the answers and explanations on the internet to review and then go to the class. They are designed for you not to fail and while you won't get rubberstamped, I would find it difficult for a med school graduate to have problems passing.

 

[APACHE3]

Where's the site for the pre-test questions and answers? I could not find it on the AHA site.

 

[leviathan]

As a former (and future) ACLS Instructor.....no, not really....but it never hurts to actually know what is going on beforehand. Pass rates in classes I have taught have ranged from 90% to under 30% (the latter being in courses for the US military, mainly because the nurses expected to be rubberstamped because they were officers and outranked me)

Ahahaha, your new avatar is even better than the last one Dropkick. I think the bear method would be the best avenue to deal with your rejection.

 

[angel80]

When I took my ACLS course in med school, at the beginning of 3rd year, the course was 2 days long: one really long day of lecture, and a second day consisting of a short review, and then the written and practical tests. I (and most of my classmates) literally took the plastic wrap off the book right before the first lecture, even thought we had the book for a couple of weeks. Everyone did fine. They tell you what you need to know in the lectures, so all you have to do is pay attention. Then you need to go home and learn the rhythm strips, and the drugs and algorithms (probably the hardest part). We had only one night to do that, but it was definately doable. Now for residency, it looks like our course is going to be 3 days long, so I don't expect it to be a problem at all.

Oh, and when I did the course in med school, it was definately NOT open-book. I don't know if that will be the case when I do the course again.

 

[APACHE3]

OK, Got my ACLS books today. The ECC book is awesome! I'll carry that one! The big book looks a little too much, but I'll try to get into it. Course starts on Thursday, so I wasted my $$ on the MGraw-Hill study aid book. Oh well, live and learn!

 

[gutonc]

I finished my course yesterday. We didn't get a book other than the ECC book which is the only thing out there that's updated for the 2005 guidelines so far. Even the exam isn't updated yet so they just delete questions that are no long relevant.

Study the algorithms, know the basic drugs and doses (Epi, Atropine, Amio, Lido - one of our megacode testers apparently told people that the last dose of Amio had been dropped and broken so they had to use Lido which nobody knew the dose of - Adenosine and maybe diltiazem and metoprolol) and you'll be fine. 80% of the written exam is common sense (for someone with an MD) and if your course is anything like mine you'll have the chance to run a practice megacode or two before the actual test and it will be run by the same people doing the actual testing, all of whom want you to pass.

BE (now PE)

 

[RNtoFNP]

Where's the site for the pre-test questions and answers? I could not find it on the AHA site.

Try here - http://www.co.dare.nc.us/depts/EMS/ACLS/Annotated.pdf

 

[APACHE3]

Thats an old test, but I guess it worth looking at.

 

[RNtoFNP]

Thats an old test, but I guess it worth looking at.

I just got a 2004 pretest from my hospital this week in preparation for ACLS. It has the exact same questions as the one posted on the website above that's dated 2001.

 

[APACHE3]

Just took exam. Got 93%. Several questions were directly from old pre-exam, so its worth a look. test not too difficult, but several tricky questions. remember, new rules this year, 30:2, 1 shock at 360, etc, etc,

 

[PickyBicky]

remember, new rules this year, 30:2, 1 shock at 360, etc, etc,

The most curious of the new additions to the ACLS guidelines is having the family present at the code. I dunno....there is apparently evidence to support this.

-PB

 

[APACHE3]

Actually a few years ago, when I was a wee little tech in the ED, one of the nurses said, regarding trauma resuscitations, leave all the blood and stuff in the room, so the family can see how hard we actually tried...dunno if that worked or not..it just "looked" real bad. Anyway for the new rules, As soon as a family member hears their granfather's ribs crack during CPR, we'll be coding a second patient!!! 😉