ACLS Study Guide

I decided to buy this book after reading many reviews on many different books. I currently am a float nurse but of the floors that I go to, all have patients on telemetry. It's fine when I get patients who aren't on it, but when I do get them, I really need to be aware of their rhythms. And after having one too many patients of mine go into some crazy unstable dysrhythmias, I decided that I needed to expand my knowledge on ACLS (even though my hospital won't let me take the class/test for another year). The idea of having to take care of patients with cardiac problems/telemetry and not knowing what it is that I am supposed to do, is very unsettling. I am the type of person who likes to know as much as I possibly can about a topic so that I have the whole picture. This book is detailed but I am okay with that because I am, in a way, starting from scratch and I need as much information as possible. It goes into a lot of the fundamentals/basics in the beginning on the book, but personally, for me, its a great refresher and doesn't hurt since I am a brand-new nurse. I like the pictures, the concise charts/pictures the book includes. I agree, if you are looking for a quick review, this book probably isn't for you. But if you're someone who is new and really just wants to build a good foundation, I highly recommend this book!

Ms. Aehlert's study guide gets better and better with each update. The 4th edition reflects best practices derived from current evidence, including the latest AHA guidelines. The content and prose is accessible for nurses and other health care providers, from novice to expert. I've taken ACLS 10 times in my 20+ years of emergency nursing...now I teach ACLS for AHA. I have myriad resources at my disposal, but Aehlert's ACLS Study Guide is always my first and foremost reference for salient content. Bottom line: this is the resource book you need to pass ACLS, as well as build your overall fund of knowledge for emergency cardiac care.

This is a very useful, easy reading and understanding book, indeed! However, pay attention to this: 1- On page 309 (Case Studies, Case 3: Pulseless VT/FV): "*Coach: The shock has been delivered. A team member calls your attention to a rhythm change on the cardiac monitor. What is the rhythm on the monitor (Figure 7-4)*? The monitor (Figure 7.4) shows a sinus rhythm with uniform premature ventricular complexes. * Coach: What would you like to do next?* Because there is an organized rhythm on the monitor, I will ask the CPR team member to stop CPR and check for a pulse." The sequence above is not the one recommended. According to the current (2010) AHA Guidelines, immediately after the shock you should NOT check rhythm or pulse, i.e., CPR should be resumed immediately after the shock, starting with chest compressions. Checking the rhythm and pulse (if and organized rhythm is noted on the monitor) should be done only after 5 cycles of 30:2 (or after about 2 minutes, if any advanced airway in place). After the shock, one should not delay or stop CPR to check for a rhythm or pulse, even if the rhythm on the monitor is or seems to be an organized one (sinus or whatever). AHA emphasizes: do not check rhythm or pulse just after shocking. Restart CPR immediately instead. The text should be like this: "*Coach: The shock has been delivered. After 5 cycles of CPR (about two minutes), a team member calls your attention to a rhythm change on the cardiac monitor. What is the rhythm on the monitor (Figure 7-4)*? The monitor (Figure 7.4) shows a sinus rhythm with uniform premature ventricular complexes. * Coach: What would you like to do next?* Because there is an organized rhythm on the monitor, I will ask the CPR team member to briefly stop CPR and check for a pulse." or like this: "*Coach: The shock has been delivered. A team member calls your attention to a rhythm change on the cardiac monitor. What is the rhythm on the monitor (Figure 7-4)*? The monitor (Figure 7.4) shows a sinus rhythm with uniform premature ventricular complexes. * Coach: What would you like to do next?* Just after the shock, even if there is an organized rhythm on the monitor, I will ask the CPR team member to continue CPR for more 5 cycles (about 2 minutes), starting with chest compressions, and after that I will check the rhythm on the monitor and, if there is an organized rhythm, then I will check for a pulse." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2- On page 310 (Case Studies, Case 3: Pulseless VT/FV - Post-cardiac Arrest Support/ Reassessment): "I want the IV team member to prepare an IV infusion of amiodarone while I arrange for the patient's transfer for further care." Again, current AHA guidelines recommend against the use of prophylactic antidysrhythmic medications. From the AHA Guidelines Part 9: Post-Cardiac Arrest Care, page S770, Table 1. Multiple System Approach to Posdt-Cardiac Arrest Care: Cardiovascular column: * No prophylactic antiarrhythmics From AHA Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support - Provider Manual Professional - 2011, page 77: "Post-Cardiac Arrest Maintenance Therapy: there is no evidence to support continued prophylactic administration of antiarrhythmic medications once the patient achieves ROSC." So, in my opinion, The text should be like this: "I do not want the IV team member to prepare an IV infusion of amiodarone while I arrange for the patient's transfer for further care, because prophylactic antiarrhythmics are not recommended anymore."

I got the electronic version. As far as content and knowledge goes, its first class. This is not the first Aehlert book I buy, nor the last. Very satisfied with the material. I am new to e-books, so it might just be me, but I had some trouble with the layout, felt words and paragraphs just rolled into one huge page, with little single page demarcations. Maybe this is normal for e-books and I need to get used to that. I did buy a hard copy as a gift to a friend, he is extremely satisfied with the guide.

I have been working through cardiology for my paramedic and we have our textbook, a 12 lead book, several dysrhythmia books, and this one. So far this is the best of all...current medication therapy, easy to understand explanations, and concise boxes of what you really need to know info. Every book has its flaws and typos, but so far VERY impressed with this text.

Very good book, also required by many places if you're taking ACLS. It helped to get me through ACLS while in medic school and would recommend it to any one with no prior ACLS experience.

I purchased the Kindle version of this text, primarily because I didn't want the inconvenience of lugging around a text book. I read nearly the entire text on the Paper White version of the Kindle and it was very difficult to view the numerous charts, illustrations, and algorhythms presented in the text. Since the knowledge of the ACLS algorhythms are so important in passing the various certification related tests, I was frequently consulting other printed materials, which sort of defeated the main reason that I purchased the Kindle version. About two weeks after I purchased the Kindle edition, it occurred to me that I could read it with the Kindle software on my Asus tablet with a 10" color screen. It made all of the difference in the world. The text is much easier to read, as are the illustrations, charts, and algorhythms. In addition, the fact that nearly all of the non text parts of the edition are in color makes it seem like one is reading the paper edition of the text. The fact that I have a number of AHA ACLS related PDF files on my tablet to provide additional easily referenced documents makes the Asus tablet a great book shelf for preparing for certification. In closing, if you are considering purchasing the Kindle version of this text, I would only advise doing so if you have a color tablet or color Kindle to view it. The limits of the Paper White Kindle make it such that I would not advise it as a medium to view the text.

Have previously purchased Barbara's guide to prepare for ACLS as a student. Now,as an ACLS instuctor, I find it to be the best reference out there to help my students understand the concepts necessary to navigate the algorithms and prepare for the mega code and written exams

I love it.

Love it. Wish I had found this book sooner (I hear the guidelines are being updated in Fall of 2015 so all current guides will be out of date). The Heart and Stroke Manual is compulsory, but NOT user friendly. This book follows the 2010 guidelines and has lots of self-assessment tests and case studies. It"s format isn't so much the algorithms, but more like "This is what is happening. This is what you do about it. This is the rationale" Will definitely look for the new version when it is published.

This book was recommended by ACL's provider. It explains in detail every single item. Now, I feel I have gained more knowledge through this great book. I strongly recommend it to everyone interested in learning about ECG rhythms.

Not bad.

This book really helped me in writing the exam, however if you are short on time, it is not a good one to buy because it is very detailed. Definitely a good reference material