Week Theme: Patient Hook-Up

Each week I'll be tackling one section in the Principles of Polysomnography book (I have the second edition). Since there are six sections it will give me another week or two to do general study before I take the test by the end of March.

Week One: Patient Hook-Up

Monitoring Devices
Performing a Full Patient Hook-Up
Electrode Application
Waveform Characteristics and Montages
The Role of the Sleep Tech

In addition, I'll be brushing up on history of sleep medicine and EKG.

Time to get studying!

Weekend Vocabulary

Atrioventricular (AV) Node
The point of the heart that is responsible for the conduction of the electrical impulses from the atria to the ventricles.

Bundle Branches
Three branches from the bundle of HIS in the heart that run along the interventricular septum.

Common Mode Rejection Reaction (CMRR)
A rating of the ability of differential amplifier to eliminate identical inputs.

Differential Amplifier
An amplifier used in polysomnography which works by comparing the difference between two incoming voltages and outputs a signal based on the difference.

End Tidal CO2
A reading of carbon dioxide levels in the blood as measured by expired air.

Frequency Response Curve Group
A graphical depiction of an amplifer's ability to filter unwanted signals at varying frequencies.

Glutamate
Excitatory amino acids that project to the cortex, forebrain, and brainstem.

Hyperoxemia
The state of having too much oxygen in the blood.

Internodal Pathways
The pathways which the electrical impulses of the heart follow, from the SA Node to the AV Node.

J


Klein-Levin Syndrome
A disorder that has recurrent hypersomnia as one of its symptoms.

Low Frequency Filter (LFF)
A tool or device on a polysomnograph which sets a limitation to the low frequency signals that are allowed to pass through the amplifier.

Mercury Strain Gauge
A device to detect respiratory effort by amplifying the change in resistance due to circuit elongation and narrowing with a wheatstone bridge box.

Noradrenaline
A chemical in the brain that maintains and enhances the activation of the cerebral cortex.

Oscillograph
A device that converts electrical signals into pen movements.

Purkinje Fibers
Specialized myocardial fibers that conduct electrical impulses that enable the heart to contract.

Q


Reticular Activating System (RAS)
A system in the brain causing wakefulness and alertness.

Sinoatrial (SA) Node
The point of the heart at which the electrical impulse begins.  This is the pacemaker of the heart.

Tricyclic Antidepressants
A group of medications designed to treat depression.  Most of these also reduce REM sleep and are sometimes used to treat certain disorders associated with REM sleep.


U

V waves (formerly known as Vertex waves or Vertex sharp waves)
Sharp negative deflections seen in an EEG channel.  V Waves are characteristic of the later part of stage N1.

Water-filled Catheter
A device used to detect respiratory effort.


X


Y

Zeitgeber
External stimuli such as light, melatonin, and physical activity that entrain biological rhythms to certain levels of wakefulness or sleep.


These glossary terms are from The Sleep Technician's Flash Cards by Spriggs which you should definitely add to your wish list.

Studying for the BRPT...

Even though there has been quite a bit of changes recently with the future of testing in the sleep field I'm still planning on taking the BRPT exam.  See ABSM Creating New Sleep Technologist Certification Exam | News | Sleep Review or BRPT who posted links to responses from AASM and AAST.

I've been going to a study group and we're starting to get into a regular schedule now so finally I'll be posting bits and pieces of what I'm currently studying here.

I've yet to find a job, finding one in my area with no experience and not registered has been more difficult than I thought but that is just another reason for me to study hard and pass the exam.

In the meantime, I'll be stocking up on hot chocolate because it's cold out there!

Review for BRPT Exam

Last minute I signed into a two day review hosted at NECC in Haverhill, MA. I got to see a few former classmates as well as meet many new faces, some traveling from New Jersey and Maine.

This review coupled with finding a huge online resource, Binary Sleep, will really help me get over summer time mentality and back into studying.

Break time is over so I'll add some links and pictures later.


The review covered AASM scoring guidelines and preparing for the newly restructured exam offered by the B.R.P.T.  Respiratory therapists, Registered sleep technologists, recent graduates and former sleep tech's still in the sleep field received a binder full of information to study.  For two days, about thirteen hours of lecturing, we listened to three professors discuss topics such as; pediatrics, cardiac evaluations, safety, and sleep disorders at length.

At the end we were awarded a certificate and members of AAST gained CEC credits.  Sadly, I forgot to charge my camera so I was only able to take a few pictures today.  Almost as sad is that I am so sleep deprived I'm having difficulty stringing together coherent sentences so take a gander at the few pictures below and get studying!

Chris Rowse

Lunch Time

Full study binders 

Two of teachers

Worked super hard to keep our food and drinks flowing

More food!

John Murray, Forrest Broderick, & Christopher Rowse

Testing Quiz One

Testing Quiz One
Hello, this is a test to see what it looks like...

1. To be scored properly arousals must be _____ seconds apart
3 5 30 10
2. The answer to this question is
a b c d
3. 2 + 2 =
5 8 4 1
4. Type your question4 here.
choice1 choice2- pick me choice3 choice4- pick me
5. Type your question5 here.
choice1- pick me choice2 choice3 choice4
6. Type your question6 here.
choice1 choice2 choice3- pick me choice4
7. Type your question7 here.
choice1- pick me choice2 choice3 choice4
8. Type your question8 here.
choice1- PICK ME choice2- PICK ME choice3 choice4
9. Type your question9 here.
choice1-PICK ME choice2 choice3 choice4
10. Type your question10 here.
choice1- PICK ME choice2 choice3 choice4

Let's see what it looks like... stay tuned for 10 question quizzes

Finals are over but studying isn't

Getting ready for our scoring final!

Well, the idea that I would post on the blog during my last semester didn’t really work so well.  Between work, clinical and studying I just couldn’t manage it.

Last week I took all five of my finals and this Saturday is graduation.  Just because school is over though doesn’t mean that the learning has stopped.  This Friday students from both the Hybrid and Day programs met with two of our teachers to take a review. 

We all are eligible to take the RPSTG exam, which is in the process of a price increase and big overhaul, and now we really need to hit the books.

I’ll be posting here to help keep my studying organized, I’m still trying to find a good plugin for quizzes (so geeky but I can’t wait) and hopefully by the end of the summer I can say I’m a registered tech.

My next goal is getting a job!

Applied to Graduate!

The deadline to submit the graduation application is days away so after my Bio Lab I meandered over to the offices at the Haverhill campus.  It was not as complicated as I expected and in no time at all I was back on the road which happily was snow and rain free.

Last night I had my weekly clinical at SleepHealth Center and during a bit of down time I tested my knowledge using the Principles of Polysomnography Manual with practice questions.  Eck!  I did really, really bad.  I'm not letting that get me down though.  It was at three AM and now I see what my weak areas are.  Plus, classes aren't done yet so hopefully it will help me to get a bit more organized.  Hey that is what this blog is for right!

Any ways, on a blogging note, Blogger in Draft has added a new (and SICK) template designer.  All those hacks I was so proud of doing to get my skinny sidebars and three column footer are superfluous.  But I'm going to keep it like it is for now and resist playing with the new feature (on this blog at least).

Now here is a serious question- did you go to your college graduation ceremony?