The clot lands in the lungs—but the right ventricle may be what actually kills the patient. In this episode of the Ten Minute Medic, we follow the deadly chain reaction from rising pulmonary vascular resistance and dead-space ventilation to right-heart failure, obstructive shock, and cardiac arrest. Clear lungs, falling pressure, very bad day—here’s why a pulmonary embolism can make your patient crash frighteningly fast.

PE Study Guide

You know the dose: 1 mg every 3–5 minutes. Congratulations—you’ve memorized the box. But do you actually know what epinephrine is doing after you push it? In this episode of The Ten Minute Medic, we dig into why epi doesn’t magically “restart the heart,” how alpha-mediated vasoconstriction and coronary perfusion pressure give the myocardium a fighting chance, why timing differs between shockable and nonshockable arrests, and why getting ROSC isn’t necessarily the same thing as saving a life. We’ll also tackle the uncomfortable evidence behind our favorite little 1-mg syringe. Because if your entire understanding of epinephrine is “the algorithm says give it,” we need to talk.

Epi ACLS Study Guide

ECGs aren’t really about memorizing squiggly lines—they’re about following electricity.

In this episode of The Ten Minute Medic, we trace the heart’s electrical breadcrumbs from the SA node through the atria, AV node, His-Purkinje system, ventricles, and repolarization. You’ll learn why P waves, PR intervals, QRS complexes, and T waves look the way they do—and why a wide QRS should make you ask a physiologic question rather than simply recognize a pattern.

The goal is simple: stop thinking pattern → name and start thinking electricity → physiology → pattern → diagnosis.

Because great ECG interpretation isn’t about having a better memory. It’s about understanding the electrical story the heart is trying to tell you.

Cardiac Conduction System Study Guide