The AHA just updated the playbook on acute pulmonary embolism. The old classification system is gone. Heparin drips are no longer the default. And if your instinct is to push for intubation, that could be the thing that makes your patient worse.

In this episode, Dr. Mark Creager, lead author of the 2026 AHA Multi-Society Guideline on Acute Pulmonary Embolism, breaks down exactly what's changed, how the new guidelines help teams make better decisions faster, and what nurses need to know about frontline PE management.

Learn what the data says about oxygen therapy, anticoagulation, vasopressors, and the decisions that matter most when your PE patient starts to slide.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• The new A to E classification system and how to categorize patients
• Clinical signs that your PE patient is deteriorating
• Oxygen therapy: why intubation can be dangerous
• Vasopressor therapy and when to add vasopressin
• Low-molecular-weight heparin vs. unfractionated heparin
• PE response teams: when to activate and who should be on the team
• What you can do when your hospital has no PERT
• When to transfer by classification (and when it may be too late)
• The nurse's role in early recognition and escalation

And you can check out the full AHA/ACC 2026 updated PE guideline here:

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001415

Mentioned in this episode:

Xshears are the best shears

check em out here: https://xshear.com//discount/Rapid10 and you can use code RAPID10 to get 10% off your purchase

CONNECT 📸 Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapidresponsern/ 📚 Check out my course: https://www.rapidresponseandrescue.com/learnmore 🧑‍💻Check out my website: https://www.rapidresponseandrescue.com/ 📬 Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.rapidresponseandrescue.com/login 🎁 Affiliation and discounts: https://www.rapidresponseandrescue.com/therapidresponsern ✅ Earn CE’s for listening to podcasts through RNegade: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/?ref=d9d541 SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/rapid-response-rn/id1535997752 💚Leave a rating on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/55LQqeDg6XFeixvZLEp4xE ⏱️ To get the FREE Rapid Response RN Assessment Guide and the coupon code for $10 off the cost of the course, message Sarah on Instagram @TheRapidResponseRN and type the word PODCAST! This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com

"There has to be a better way." We've all thought it. This episode is proof that nurses can be the ones to make it happen.

In this episode, Sarah is joined by Kat Siaron, rapid response nurse and co-author of the RRT STAR study that shows what happens when nurses are empowered to act before a clear stroke diagnosis is made. They walk through a patient case that exposed a dangerous gap in inpatient stroke response, traps like sedation hangover that mask stroke presentations, and how the nurse-led Code Stroke process has drastically improved time to crucial intervention.

You'll hear about the step-by-step workflow, where rapid response nurses and physicians fit in, and how you can advocate for change in your hospital.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• The patient case that led to Kat’s RRT STAR study
• Why inpatient stroke times lag behind ER stroke times
• The consequences of ordering stat CT instead of Code Stroke
• Symptoms and prognosis of basilar stroke
• The step-by-step Code Stroke process
• The rapid response team's role in stroke activation
• Results and impact of the study
• How they overcame pushback to drive institutional change
• Stroke mimics and what to do next
• How to advocate for a nurse-led stroke alert at your hospital

Read Kat’s article, “Use of Rapid Response Teams to Expedite Imaging and Treatment for Inpatients With Acute Stroke:”

https://aacnjournals.org/aacnacconline/article-abstract/36/4/317/32912/Use-of-Rapid-Response-Teams-to-Expedite-Imaging?redirectedFrom=fulltext

The stroke guidelines just changed and it’s exciting and nuanced! What you do in the first 30 minutes could drastically change your patient's outcome. In this episode, Dr. Shyam Prabhakaran, neurologist and chief writer of the new 2026 AHA Stroke Guidelines, explains what's changed and how these guidelines are changing practice at the bedside.

Stroke treatment decisions are getting faster, more nuanced, and more imaging-driven. Inclusion/exclusion criteria and whether to give thrombolytics, who is a candidate for thrombectomy, and when to touch the blood pressure have all been updated. Know the updates before your next stroke alert!

Topics discussed in this episode:

1. Introducing the classic extended window patient case
2. Thrombolytics vs. thrombectomy explained
3. EMS destination decision: Choosing primary vs. comprehensive stroke center
4. How reperfusion time windows have changed
5. Advanced imaging: ASPECTS and thrombectomy eligibility
6. Treatment options for patients presenting outside of the 4.5 hr window
7. Blood pressure management recommendations
8. What nurses should do in the first 15-30 minutes
9. LVO red flags at the bedside
10. Pediatric ischemic stroke

Check out the new AHA Stroke Guidelines:

https://newsroom.heart.org/news/new-guideline-expands-stroke-treatment-for-adults-offers-first-pediatric-stroke-guidance

Mentioned in this episode:

CONNECT 📸 Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapidresponsern/ 📚 Check out my course: https://www.rapidresponseandrescue.com/learnmore 🧑‍💻Check out my website: https://www.rapidresponseandrescue.com/ 📬 Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.rapidresponseandrescue.com/login 🎁 Affiliation and discounts: https://www.rapidresponseandrescue.com/therapidresponsern ✅ Earn CE’s for listening to podcasts through RNegade: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/?ref=d9d541 SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/rapid-response-rn/id1535997752 💚Leave a rating on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/55LQqeDg6XFeixvZLEp4xE ⏱️ To get the FREE Rapid Response RN Assessment Guide and the coupon code for $10 off the cost of the course, message Sarah on Instagram @TheRapidResponseRN and type the word PODCAST! This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com

Listen to the In The Heart of Care Podcast

https://link.cohostpodcasting.com/6598429e-e927-45b0-9b57-7dd34a09d803?d=seASyqjs7