Cardiac Emergencies

Course overview

More than 600,000 patients die each year from cardiovascular diseases. Half of these deaths occur before the patient reaches the hospital. Many times, collapse and sudden death is the first sign of cardiac disease. Research has shown that rapid defibrillation is the major determinant of survival in cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation. This course highlights the signs and symptoms of cardiac arrest and the steps to take to use an automated external defibrillator (AED) properly. Not all chest pain, however, will result in cardiac arrest. As such, this course also reviews the signs and symptoms of cardiac compromise and the emergency medical care of patients experiencing chest pain, including the administration of nitroglycerin