Stress-Free Renewal: Tips for a Seamless American Heart Association BLS Renewal Online
Your basic life support skills are critical when a patient’s life is on the line. Basic Life Support (BLS) certification ensures you are prepared to provide the highest level of patient care when an emergency arises. BLS certification must be renewed every two years, which can be challenging for healthcare professionals with little extra time […]
What is RQI
High-quality CPR is the most critical factor for survival from cardiac arrest according to the American Heart Association (AHA). RQI stands for resuscitation quality improvement, and it is an innovative program from the AHA and Laerdal Medical. This program offers the only data-driven CPR training to improve CPR quality and patient outcomes. Taking CPR to […]
Elevate Healthcare Training: RQI Classes as Your Essential Resource for Clinical Excellence and Staff Upskilling
In-hospital cardiac arrest affects tens of thousands of patients every year. It is associated with poor patient outcomes, with only about one-quarter of cardiac arrest patients surviving the event. Many that do survive suffer from lifelong neurological disability. While these numbers tend to be higher than cardiac arrest events that occur outside a hospital setting, […]
5 Insights from Capnography: Monitoring Breathing Efficiency
Capnography may be the most important vital sign you use to monitor your EMS patient. It provides information about airway placement, tracks ventilation, and measures carbon dioxide during exhalation. This feedback is invaluable in determining the severity of your patient’s condition and how well they respond to treatment. Healthcare workers, particularly those specializing in respiratory […]
Life on the Line: PEA and EKG Triggers
Imagine your patient presents with no pulse. You begin CPR and hook the patient up to your heart rate monitor. The ECG monitor shows pulseless electrical activity (PEA). You have just minutes to restore this patient’s normal heart rhythm and electrical shock won’t be effective. What do you do? PEA arrests are common in a […]
Flexibility in Learning: How RQI Fits Into Your Busy Healthcare Schedule
Healthcare professionals keep extremely busy schedules, in which they also have to find time to fit ongoing training requirements. In a field where patients depend on the availability of their doctors, nurses, and paramedics to provide the care they need, it is difficult for these professionals to find the time to complete certification courses and […]
RQI vs. Conventional BLS Training: Revolutionizing Healthcare Education
Is it time for your initial BLS certification or a renewal course? Now, you have more options for pursuing BLS certification than ever before. Whether you choose conventional instructor-led training (ILT) courses or the newer blended learning model that uses resuscitation quality improvement (RQI), you can find the certification course that works the best for […]
Decoding ECG Results: Distinguishing V-Tach from V-Fib
Ventricular tachycardia (Vtach) and ventricular fibrillation (Vfib) are two potentially life-threatening heart arrhythmias that originate in the ventricles of the heart. The electrical activity of the heart varies with Vtach vs. Vfib and different treatments might be indicated. Differentiating between these two arrhythmias begins with a comprehensive understanding of how to decode ECG results. What […]
The Ultimate ACLS Study Guide
What is ACLS? Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) teaches advanced guidelines and skills to respond to cardiovascular emergencies. It is primarily recommended for physicians, nurses, and paramedics, and teaches professionals how to respond to cardiac arrest, stroke, and other cardiac events. This ACLS study guide is most effective for healthcare professionals that are already familiar […]
Storms & Floods Preparedness
Importance of Storm and Flood Preparedness Floods are the most common natural disaster in the US, so storm and flood preparedness is critical to protect the lives of you, your family members, and your pets. From getting to safe shelter to ensuring your family has essential supplies in the event services are cut off for […]
Understanding Laryngeal Mask Airways: The Role of LMA
What does LMA mean? Laryngeal mask airway (LMA) ventilation has been a preferred method of ventilation since it was introduced in 1988. Many anesthesia experts consider the LMA to be an essential development in airway management due to its comfort and safety. Knowing how to use a laryngeal mask airway is critical for healthcare workers […]
The Ultimate BLS Field Guide
Introduction Proper basic life support (BLS) skills are essential for any responder, often making the difference between life and death for a victim or patient. To ensure cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts are successful, responders should be prepared to act both alone and as part of a high-performance team. All responders should remain up to date on […]
Crucial Factors in Cardiac Emergencies: Hs and Ts of Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when an irregular heart rhythm leads to a loss of all heart activity. Sudden cardiac arrest requires immediate medical treatment or it can result in death. However, emergency resuscitation procedures are just the first step in treating a cardiac arrest patient. Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) prepares you for sudden cardiac […]
How to Use a Fire Extinguisher
Fire extinguishers save lives and property, which is why experts recommend keeping a working fire extinguisher on every level of your home. However, a fire extinguisher is only helpful if you and your family members know the correct way to operate it. Now is the time to learn how to use a fire extinguisher so […]
Breaking Down the Basics: CPR and the Return of Spontaneous Circulation
The return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) is the goal of CPR. A critical component of understanding what CPR is includes an understanding what ROSC is, how to identify it when it occurs, and what to do immediately after it is achieved. Introduction: The Heart of the Matter Return of spontaneous circulation is the objective after […]