Mastering ACLS

By Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

This quick-study guide shows health care professionals how to excel in the American Heart Association's Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) course and certification exam. The text covers the most recent guidelines and recommendations for providing ACLS to adults and offers a comprehensive review of ACLS fundamentals: arrhythmia recognition; pharmacology; life support techniques; algorithms; airway management; procedures for such special situations as stroke and drowning; and a Megacode review in a case-study format. Key points quickly review and reinforce each chapter's core concepts, while end-of-chapter quizzes and a mock comprehensive test let readers assess their knowledge.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1582551073
• ISBN13: 9781582551074
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
• Length: 309 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Good, directed ACLS review

This book is an excellent introduction and refresher for Advanced Cardiac Life Support guidelines. Not only that, it also gives many helpful descriptions and illustrations for techniques used in the care of a broad range of patients. For example, it gives an exhaustive review of IV placement, including the pros and cons of different locations. It reviews specifics of airway management and illustrates different devices available (eg, ET tube, laryngeal mask airway, bag mask valve device). It thoroughly reviews ACLS drugs and cardiac drugs in a high-yield manner. While its intended audience is RNs (for example, mixing instructions for drugs are plentiful), as an MD I found it quite handy, and ACLS students of any stripe should find it useful. There are a few weaknesses. While the end-of-chapter question banks are good preparation for the ACLS exam, many questions have equivocal stems or answers. Therefore they could use more rigourous review for accuracy and clarity. Also, the text and charts occasionally have misspellings which detracts from the otherwise professional appearance and tone of the book. I read Mastering ACLS in a matter of four hours, skipping the more mundane or already known sections. I am happy to say that I did well during the ACLS course I took the next day. My retention of critical material was unquestionably reinforced by this fine review. I am sure its teaching points will improve the care of patients as well.