April 14, 2008--All About Saving Lives

I spent the day with my good friend Toni Norton renewing our Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). Anyone who knows me is aware that even though I have taken the course at least 8 times it never fails to make me tense. The class was from 0800-1730 and we passed! I received 100% on the written and passed the practicum. I have to admit that they have made it a whole lot easier than it was when I first took it in San Francisco in 1989. Back then they had you stand in front of a group of people and a doctor was there giving you a case history and listening to everything you would do in the event that someone had a cardiac arrest--what joules you would use to shock them and what medications you would give, how much and how often--while someone wrote what you said on the blackboard. When you were through there was silence, and a large blackboard covered with what you had said. Then the doctor would look at you and say, 'Look at the blackboard; is there anything you want to change?' Now days, you may take charge of the code, but it is a team approach. I am done for two years!