Townsend Cardiovascular Nursing Symposium

Chest Pain, Syncope, Palpitations… Oh My! Symptom-Based Cardiac Evaluation in the Critically Ill

Jennifer Lanz, MSN, APRN-FPA, AGACNP-BC

This interactive session explores the evaluation of chest pain, syncope, and palpitations in critically ill patients. Designed for advanced practice nurses, the lecture emphasizes rapid assessment, differential diagnosis, imaging, and management pearls for timely interventions that improve outcomes.

The Four Pillars of Heart Failure Medication Therapy

Joe Schlecta, PharmD, FASHP, FKCHP, Wesley HealthCare

This presentation reviews the core clinical updates of the 2022 heart failure guidelines, focusing on the implementation of Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy (GDMT) across the full spectrum of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

Game On: Differentiating Ventricular Tachycardia from Aberrancy

Judy Borish, MSN, RN, CCRN, PCCN, Independent Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist

Nurses first learn that all wide complex tachycardias are ventricular tachycardia until proven otherwise. This session uses a cooperative game to give nurses the tools to determine whether the wide complex tachycardia is truly ventricular tachycardia. Several newer algorithms, as well as classic criteria, are presented. After lecture elements on each method, participants vote on whether the ECG is ventricular tachycardia. The percentage of correct answers determines how many spaces the group advances. It is an engaging format to determine new ways to differentiate wide complex tachycardias.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: A Ticking Time Bomb in the Abdomen

Pamela Anderson, MSN, RN, ANP-BC, CCRN and Audrey Glossinger, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CCRN, Indiana University Health

In the U.S. approximately and globally abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) pose a substantial health concern. Significant morbidity and mortality are associated with AAA especially if the patient presents with a ruptured AAA. This presentation reviews the pathogenesis of abdominal aneurysms, surgical repair options, and associated vascular complications of AAA which include colon ischemia, renal failure, and lower extremity ischemia. This intermediate session provides assessment tips for vascular complications of AAA. Several case studies are reviewed.

Back From the Dead: Exploring Care of the Post-Cardiac Arrest Patient

Julie Hartney, MSN, APRN, CCRN, ACAG-CNS, University of Chicago Medicine

Over 300,000 in-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year in medical centers across the United States. An estimated thirty percent of patients expire during the management of their arrest, while an estimated sixty-six percent of patients obtain return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC).  Patients who sustain ROSC following cardiac arrest (both outside-of-hospital [OHCA] and inside-of-hospital [IHCA] arrests) are at high risk for post-cardiac arrest syndrome. This clinical state involves widespread disruption of cellular hemostasis, circulatory collapse, and multi-organ dysfunction. It is associated with a variety of complications, including hypotension, hypoxemia, myocardial dysfunction, neurologic injury, and widespread inflammation. This post-arrest phase requires diligent, organized nursing and medical care in order to successfully address this multi-system physiologic assault. Learners will explore the physiologic, logistic, and human needs of patients and their families during this chaotic clinical period.