Critical care transport professionals (CTPs) routinely encounter patients with cardiac arrhythmias. Traditionally, cardiac arrhythmias have been treated pharmacologically. Unfortunately, cardioactive medications often have side effects that can reduce the patient’s quality of life; in some cases, they may be ineffective, even when prescribed appropriately and taken with good compliance. The tremendous evolution of pacing technology has allowed more types of arrhythmias to be treated electrically, often with little to no patient awareness at the time electrical therapy is being delivered.
After completing this course, the practitioner will be able to:
Describe the responsibilities of the CCTP when transporting a patient with a pacemaker or an ICD.
Differentiate between the four types of pacemakers.
List the frequently used NBG codes.
Identify the signs of a malfunctioning pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD).
Practitioners who successfully complete the Critical Care Paramedics: Pacemakers (ALS Edition) course are eligible for 0.5 hours of continuing education
