BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING:

CRITICAL CARE NURSING
COURSE MODULE COURSE UNIT WEEK
1 2 16

ADVANCED CARDIOVASCULAR LIFE SUPPORT

ü Read course and unit objectives

ü Read study guide prior to class attendance
ü Read required learning resources; refer to unit
terminologies for jargons
ü Proactively participate in classroom discussions
ü Participate in weekly discussion board (Canvas)
ü Answer and submit course unit tasks

At the end of this unit, the students are expected to:

Cognitive:
1. Describe the algorithm of ACLS
2. Recall the steps of ACLS

Affective:
1. Listen attentively to the discussions and opinions in the class
2. Initiate asking questions that challenge class thinking
3. Express freely the personal opinion with respect to others opinion

 
Psychomotor:
1. Participate actively during class discussions
2. Confidently express personal opinion and thoughts in front of the class

 
Chulay, Marianne, Burns Suzanne (2011) . AACN Essentials of Critical Care
Nursing (2nd edition). International: McGraw-Hill Medical

ADVANCED CARDIOVASCULAR LIFE SUPPORT

DEFINITION

Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support

• refers to a set of clinical interventions for the urgent treatment of life-threatening medical
emergencies

Shock Dosage
• Biphasic
• 120-200 J
• Monophasic
• 360 J

Drug therapy
• Epinephrine IV/IO
• 1 mg / 3-5 mins
• Vasopressin IV/IO
• 40 units
• Amiodarone IV/IO
• First dose: 300 mg bolus, 150 mg after
• All given 20 ml Saline IV bolus after

Reversible Causes of sudden cardiac arrest

• Hypovolemia
• Hypoxia
• Hydrogen Ion (acidosis)
• Hypo/hyperkalemia

 
 • Hypothermia
• Tension Pneumothorax
• Tamponade, cardiac
• Toxins
• Thrombosis

Cardiac tamponade is a serious medical condition in which blood or fluids fill the space between
the sac that encases the heart and the heart muscle.

Hypovolemia is a condition, where the blood volume decreases, otherwise a decrease in blood
plasma volume occurs. Thus, it is the volume contraction’s intravascular component or blood
volume loss due to hemorrhage and dehydration.

Tension pneumothorax describes the situation in which air accumulates under pressure in the
pleural space. The pleural space is the space between the lung and the chest wall.

Thrombosis can block the blood flow in both veins and arteries. Complications depend on where
the thrombosis is located. The most serious problems include stroke, heart attack, and serious
breathing problems.

Reading assignment Basic electrophysiology Chapters 3. 2nd edition AACN Essentials of Critical
Care Nursing by Marianne Chulay and Suzanne M. Burns

www.healthline.com/health/cardiac-tamponade
www.medicinenet.com/tension_pneumothorax/symptoms.htm
www.hopkinsmedicine.org/.../conditions-and-diseases/thrombosis

 
Study Questions

• Discuss the different reversible cause of sudden cardiac death.

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