Developed out of the authors' numerous years of successful classroom instruction to hundreds of students in ACLS courses. This volume contains 14 chapters that provide the core information necessary to prepare a candidate for the American Heart Association's ACLS Provider course. Concepts are presented in a logical manner that allows the reader to progress from a foundation of basic core knowledge (first six chapters) to more complex case management material. As the chapters progress, the information, cases and algorithms become more complex, requiring integration of the knowledge gained in previous chapters. Continuous reinforcement is a critical aspect of this book and will give readers the understanding necessary to pass ACLS and the confidence to use it.The volume presents key concepts of advanced cardiac life support, systematic approach to emergency cardiac care, airway management, ventilation, and oxygen therapy, gaining intravenous access, monitoring and dysrhythmia recognition, 12-lead electrocardiographic interpretation, electrical therapy, pharmacological therapy, acute coronary syndromes, algorithms and emergency cardiac care protocols, prehospital cardiac emergency scenarios, acute stroke, special resuscitation situations and special treatment considerations in the prehospital environment.For paramedics and EMTs.

Joseph J. Mistovich, M.Ed, NREMT-P: Chairperson and Professor, Department of Health Professions; Youngstown State University, Ohio Randall W. Benner, M.Ed, NREMT-P: Program Director, Emergency Medical Technology; Instructor, Department of Health Professions; Youngstown State University, Ohio Gregg S. Margolis, MS, NREMT-P: Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC Howard A. Werman, M.D., Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine, The Ohio State University School of Medicine and Public Health, Columbus

Management of acute cardiovascular emergencies requires rapid and decisive actions by advanced level prehospital care personnel. Standardized procedures must be established so that an effective continuum of cardiac care can be provided from the prehospital environment to the emergency department and through the more definitive care that is provided in the cardiac care unit. The approach to emergency cardiac care in the prehospital environment is quite different from that which is provided in the medical facility setting. The uncontrolled environment and limited resources make the provision of emergency cardiac care a challenge to the prehospital care provider. To accommodate the needs of this specialized group of providers,Prehospital Advanced Cardiac Life Supportpresents comprehensive information regarding emergency cardiac care procedures in a condensed format.Prehospital Advanced Cardiac Life Supportcontains fourteen chapters that provide the core information necessary to prepare a candidate for the American Heart Association's ACLS Provider course or an equivalent adult advanced cardiac life support course. The information is presented in a logical manner that allows the reader to progresses from a foundation of basic core knowledge to more complex case management material. The first ten chapters are the core knowledge-building chapters. These chapters help the reader comprehend and master the algorithms, emergency cardiac care protocols, and scenarios presented in the later chapters. As the reader progress from one chapter to the next, the information, scenarios, and algorithms become more complex, requiring integration of the knowledge gained from the previous chapters. Review questions at the end of each chapter allow the reader to use the text as an ACLS review manual as well as for the purpose of self-assessment. Key Features of the TextPresentation.The material is presented in a logical order that is relevant to the prehospital care provider and that lends itself to continuous reinforcement of previously learned information. The reader is provided a suitable knowledge base before being asked to analyze and apply the knowledge to the understanding of algorithms or scenarios.In this text, the algorithms are separated and introduced in different chapters. When an algorithm is presented, it is in the chapter in which the background information has prepared the reader to understand the algorithm. Each algorithm and emergency cardiac care protocol is designed to specifically meet the needs of the prehospital care provider.Case Studies.A brief case study is presented at the beginning of each chapter (with a Case Study Follow-up at the end of the chapter) to reinforce the material presented in the chapter. While each case is specific and relevant to the information in that chapter, it also builds on information that was presented in the previous chapters. For example, the Chapter 5 "ECG Monitoring and Dysrhythmia Recognition" case study focuses on dysrhythmia recognition but also incorporates respiratory and intravenous therapy concepts from the previous two chapters. This cumulative approach to the case studies allows the reader to review previously learned material while applying it to a practical scenario. In Chapter 11, the core case scenarios are presented to help the reader integrate and apply learned knowledge.Review Questions.Each chapter ends with a set of multiple-choice or short-answer items that can be used for self-assessment and review. The answers, with rationales, are provided in the back of the text. This feature makes the book especially useful for those who need to review when repeating an ACLS course. Reinforcement.A key feature of this text is the inclusion of four distinct levels of information reinforcement. This systematic reinforcement should aid the reader in mastering the informati