Adenosine given to Sinus Tach?

[Kiwiology]

I get my lottery tickets from the seven eleven next door to the Hooters in GRR

[DwayneEMTP]

...1. Cookbook medics following the ACLS Algorithm without determining the cause of the Tachycardia and treating that...

...You have a 27 year old male, conducting an aerobic exercise who gets anxious because his heart rate is in the target zone? Personally, I'd have told the guy that his heart rate is right where it should be and to continue running...

In no medical world do those two thoughts belong together.

We have a 'healthy' male, jogging, that is concerned for what he considers to be an unusually elevated and non self resolving 'rapid heart rate' and your advice would be 'just keep running?' 'Your heart rate is well within what the books say is normal for an exercising male so get back at it you wanker...call me back if it stops completely and we'll have something to work with.' Can you get any more cookbook than that?

I work with an 40 y/o Aussie in PNG that has a resting heart rate of 32. When he cranks the treadmill up to 10k/hr and sprints for 20 mins or so his relative tachycardia is around 110-120 bpm or so. Would you then tell him to continue running when he calls with cardiac concerns because his heart rate is only 160, well within normal limits for an exercising male?

Not sure where that line of reasoning came from Kat, but it's really off in the ditch...

Dwayne

[Arctickat]

Sorry Dwayne, I suppose I was being a bit facetious there. I would, of course, take a complete history of the situation and monitor him closely. Then determine a treatment based on my assessment. I would not, and would never simply dismiss the chief complaint out of hand and would do the best I could to relieve my clients condition appropriately.

Edited July 5, 2012 by Arctickat

[Kaisu]

Once again, I have learned something - or perhaps relearned.. Thank you kind posters

[waulen2980]

And he has completely avoid our concerns. Waulen, you probably do not have a law suit. If you really are interested in filing one against the medics, get your records and have them reviewed by a lawyer. Trying to get medicolegal advice from an anonymous internet forum is probably not the best way to go about it. You could check out these sites:

http://www.mdjunctio...general-support (be sure to check out the embalmed groin thread)

http://www.expertlaw...isplay.php?f=82

http://www.lawyercen...cs.cfm?Forum=35

Maybe you can find out on those forums if you will get your lottery ticket.

Why would I sue the medics? I would be a third-party to the event, if that. Besides, they were doing their jobs. I was merely asking why they chose that particular treatment and wanted to hear it from EMT's. I suppose I could have just taken it for face-value, popped open another manual for EKG interpretation, and moved on to something else.

Why I am posting questions like these here you ask? I don't need to, I can ask the EMT's in-person I suppose. The treating physician said that the adenosine was unneccesary that is why I kept thinking about it. Additionally, these forums catch a wider audience and thus, more diverse analysis.

Given the reaction from some of you, I will posit that these types of questions are unwelcomed and I will discontinue. My appologies to anyone I have upset.

Edited July 5, 2012 by waulen2980

[nypamedic43]

Given the reaction from some of you, I will posit that these types of questions are unwelcomed and I will discontinue. My appologies to anyone I have upset.

It isn't that they aren't welcome. And if you are going to be in the medical field in any capacity...you need to get a tougher skin. The medic's and Doc's on this board have more cumulative knowledge than you will ever find anywhere else. They like to challenge thought processes, which is a good thing.

Just because your ER doc said something offhand that "adenosine wasn't needed" doesnt mean that the medics did anything wrong. Maybe they tried a vagal maneuver and it didnt work. Maybe they considered electricity but opted for the adenosine. You don't know because you didnt talk to them. Maybe thier protocol states that a sustained sinus tach or SVT of 150 or higher gets adenosine. You should probably get familiar with thier protocols or ask the Medical Director.

***note I've said medics..not EMT's...EMT's can't give drugs.****

Have a nice day