EKG FUBAR: Avoiding the Clean Kill

It’s not about being right - it’s about not being wrong when it counts. EKG interpretation is rarely about perfect pattern recognition; it’s about making the right decision in real time with incomplete information. In this high-impact, case-based session, emergency physician Dr. Amy Gutman uses 3 critical EKG cases to show how clinical context, not just the tracing, determines the outcome. Through real-world and rapid-fire EMS scenarios, participants move beyond rote interpretation into integrated decision-making, examining how patient presentation, physiology, and subtle EKG findings intersect. Each case exposes common cognitive traps, including overreliance on “classic” patterns and the danger of treating the strip rather than the patient. Attendees will learn to rapidly prioritize what matters, avoid high-risk errors, AKA the “clean kill”, and translate findings into immediate action. Designed for prehospital providers and clinicians at all levels, this session delivers practical, field-ready strategies to improve decision-making and patient outcomes when seconds matter most.