In this episode, we discuss potential bradycardia in traumatic injuries. We touch on main differential diagnoses and their treatment options; primarily focusing on neurological injuries and how we can maximize our effectiveness.
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Good info. I appreciate the effort you are putting into this.
Near the end there was a conversation about being more proactive, seeing your vitals as a whole, utilizing etCO2 (which I’ve seen demonstrated as an accurate predictor of patients imminent path ) and just skipping ahead of the PALS, or ACLS algorithm. In my years in the pediatric ICU and now in transport, I can think of only two times where I had to revert to the basic algorithms. Typically we are very cognizant of the patient and the direction they are going and “head them off at the pass” so to speak.
It’s a scary place to be, because you think that you’re going outside of protocol or something. But in the end this kind of critical thinking, in my opinion, wins the day.
Andy,
Thank you for the feedback! You bring up a great point. A true understanding of pathophysiology is required to maximize our effectiveness with tools such as the AHA algorithms. Critical thinking is essential, especially as critical care providers!