A new online 12-lead ECG course at ECG Medical Training is helping paramedics, nurses, and physicians take STEMI recognition to the next level. The course was developed by cardiology blogger Tom Bouthillet and launched earlier this year.
The curriculum is divided into 4 main sections.
- 12-Lead ECG Basics
- STEMI Recognition
- STEMI Equivalents
- STEMI Mimics
There are 40 videos in all, averaging about 10 minutes in length. It is fully accredited and offers CMEs for paramedics, nurses, and physicians.
“The literature shows that paramedics do a pretty good job when it comes to identifying clear-cut STEMI” says Bouthillet. “However, we tend to struggle a bit more when it comes to identifying the STEMI equivalents and STEMI mimics.”
Almost all of the 12-lead ECGs in the course were obtained by paramedics during actual emergency calls.
“I am sometimes asked whether or not paramedics will actually see things like de Winter T-waves out in the field and the answer is yes. The National EMS Education Standards for paramedics devote a huge section to cardiac arrhythmias, but very little to STEMI recognition, which is odd considering the tremendous importance placed on systems of care over the past 10-15 years.”
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
“There are a lot of self-taught paramedics out there, and this is right up their alley, but we’re particularly interested in partnering with hospitals and EMS systems. Our videos can part of the quality improvement feedback loop when there is a false positive cardiac cath lab activation.”
For more information contact Tom Bouthillet at tbouthillet@ecgmedicaltraining.com