Professional ECG Interpretation Courses by SCST

About The Courses SCST run two different courses in different locations. Individuals can attend independently to sitting the exams.

SCST Foundation in Essential ECG Interpretation

The Foundation Course in Essential ECG Interpretation is a 2-day course that explains how to identify and interpret abnormal ECG patterns commonly encountered in emergency and acute medical settings. It is suitable for any healthcare professionals who want or need to be able to recognise clinically important ECG abnormalities. Most of the Foundation Courses are face to face course delivery from either Birmingham or Belfast unless stated as virtual. This is a popular, nationally recognised and accredited course in ECG interpretation for healthcare professionals who work in acute medicine.

Target Audience

The course focuses on conditions and ECG patterns likely to be encountered in secondary rather than primary care. It is suitable for:

• Junior doctors and nurses working in acute medicine, intensive care and emergency care
• Cardiographers, senior cardiographers and associate practitioners in Cardiology
• Ambulance paramedics
• Respiratory physiologists or Medical Physics technologists who supervise patients undergoing CPET or MPS

Course Structure and Methodology

The 2-day course will start with basic ECG theory and terminology and go on to define the normal ECG. Teaching will proceed by clinical category, such as tachyarrhythmias, bradyarrhythmias, chest pain syndromes, drug and electrolyte effects, sudden cardiac death/syncope syndromes. Learning will progress by integrating ECG features and clinical presentations in a structured approach to differential diagnosis. Teaching will finish with discussions of a range of clinical scenarios illustrating many of the abnormal ECG patterns covered. The aim is to teach practitioners to identify ECG features that have implications for immediate management and urgent referral.

The complete teaching package will comprise:

• Pre-course reading on ECG theory
• 2 days’ teaching in a face-to-face or virtual classroom environment
• Copy of all teaching slides
• Workbook of classroom exercises
• Lunch and refreshments are provided over the 2 day face-to-face courses
• Class size is limited to allow individualised support and feedback.

Core Syllabus and Content

• Basic ECG theory
• The normal ECG, including normal variants
• Recognising normal QRS axis, left axis deviation, right axis deviation and extreme axis
• Tachyarrhythmias
• Bradyarrhythmias and conduction disturbances
• Myocardial ischaemia and infarction
• Pulmonary embolism
• Pericarditis and myocarditis
• Left and right ventricular hypertrophy
• Left and right atrial abnormalities
• Hyperkalaemia and hypokalaemia
• Hyperventilation
• Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
• ECG effects of drug therapy and toxicity
• Simple pacing
• Sudden cardiac death syndromes
• Error and artefact

Pricing and Payment Information

The cost of the two-day course is £395 which includes lunch and refreshments on both days if face to face. Important payment information – FULL PAYMENT IS REQUIRED AT THE TIME OF BOOKING. We are unable to issue invoices to employers. Refund Policy – please note that refunds cannot be given for cancellations made within 14 days of the course start date. Cancellations made 14 days or more before the start date will incur a cancellation charge.

Diploma Preparation Course

The Diploma preparation course is the professionally recognised course for all those who are reporting on both 12-lead and ambulatory ECGs. It is designed as a preparation course for the Diploma in ECG Interpretation examination but is also suitable for healthcare professionals seeking to advance their ECG interpretation knowledge. Examination for this award is in the form of a 3-hour written paper, which can be taken twice a year in March and October. This is a very popular course and delegates are advised to book early to secure a place.