Approach to the ECG

• ECG basics, including anatomy, physiology, and voltage

• Stepwise approach to reading ECGs, including rate, rhythm, axis, and intervals

• Identifying common and life-threatening arrhythmias, such as SVT and bundle branch blocks, on ECG, as well as other conditions, such as electrolyte abnormalities

Tachycardia

• Case-based discussions and systematic, step-by-step approaches to assessment of tachycardia

• Narrow-complex tachycardia, including sinus tachycardia, atrial tachycardia, SVT (AVNRT, AVRT), and atrial fibrillation and flutter

• Wide-complex tachycardia, including SVT with aberrancy, Torsades de Pointes, and ventricular fibrillation

Bradycardia

• Common causes of bradycardia, case-based discussions, and stepwise approaches to diagnosis

• Sinoatrial (SA) nodal disease, including sinus bradycardia, sinus pause/arrest, tachy-brady syndrome

• Atrioventricular (AV) nodal disease, including first-, second-, and third-degree AV block, Mobitz type 1 and 2, complete heart block, junctional escape, ventricular escape rhythm

• Review of medications and pacing techniques for management

Can’t Miss Chest Pain

• Approach to the history and physical of patients presenting with chest pain as well as when to order testing and determine if serial testing is needed, including ECGs and troponin

• Case-based review of chest pain and associated ECG changes found in classic STEMI and atypical STEMI equivalents.

• Differentiation of life-threatening cause and ischemic versus non-ischemic etiologies, and identify STEMI, De Winter, Wellen, ST-segment changes

• Review of antiplatelets and other medication therapies