BLS ACLS PALS Questions and Answers
for adults, children, and infants, what is the universal one 30:2
rescuer compressions to breath ratio?
*adult 2-rescuer ratio is also 30:2
*excluding newly born infants in the delivery room
for infants, children, and adults what is the two rescuers - infant and child 2-rescuer ratio is 15:2
compressions to breath ratio?
- adult both 1- and 2-rescuer ratio is 30:2
→ with one rescuer doing compressions and the other doing breaths
what defines an individual as a child? - anywhere between 1 year and puberty
- signs of puberty include chest or underarm hair on mails and any
breast development in females
what are the 7 steps for one rescuer child BLS? 1. shake and shout at victim to determine if they are responsive
2. assess if they are breathing - ear to mouth or watch chest
3. if child does not respond and s/he is not breathing, yell for help - ask
second person to get AED
4. feel for child's carotid or femoral pulse for no more than 10 seconds
5. if no pulse, unsure, or < 60 bpm, begin 30:2 CPR - compression depth
should be ∼1/3 of chest, ∼2 in.
6. after 2 min (5 cycles) and no other help has arrived, leave child to call
EMS and get an AED
7. use and follow AED prompts when available while continuing CPR until
EMS arrives or child's condition normalizes
what are the 7 steps for two rescuer child and infant 1. shake and shout at victim to determine if they are responsive
BLS?
2. assess if they are breathing - ear to mouth or watch chest
3. if child does not respond and s/he is not breathing, send second
person to activate emergency response system and to get an AED
4. feel for child's carotid or femoral pulse for no more than 10 seconds
5. if no pulse, unsure, or < 60 bpm, begin 30:2 CPR - compression depth
should be ∼1/3 of chest, ∼2 in.
6. when second rescuer returns, begin doing CPR by performing 15
compressions by one rescuer and 2 breaths by the second rescuer
7. use and follow AED prompts when available while continuing CPR until
EMS arrives or child's condition normalizes
list 6 critical characteristics of high-quality CPR that - start compressions w/i 10 sec of recognition of cardiac arrest
improve a victim's chances of survival
- push hard, push fast: compress at rate of at least 100/min w/ depth of
at least 2" (5 cm) for adults, and at least one-third anterior-posterior
diameter of chest for children (~2" or 5 cm) and infants (~1.5" or 4 cm)
- allow complete chest recoil after each compression
- minimize interruptions in compressions (limit to <10 sec)
- give effective breaths that make chest rise
- avoid excessive ventilation
what are the 5 links in the Adult Chain of Survival? - immediate recognition of cardiac arrest and activation of emergency
response system
- early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) w/ an emphasis on chest
compressions
- rapid defibrillation
- effective advanced life support
- integrated post-cardiac arrest care
, BLS ACLS PALS Questions and Answers
what are the different causes of cardiac arrest in adults - adults: cardiac arrest is often sudden and results from cardiac cause
and children?
- children: cardiac arrest is often secondary to respiratory failure and
shock
what are the 5 links in the Pediatric Chain of Survival? - prevention of arrest by identifying children at risk
- early high-quality bystander CPR
- rapid activation of EMS (or other emergency response system
- effective advanced life support (incl. rapid stabilization and transport to
definitive care and rehabilitiation)
- integrated post-cardiac arrest care
what is the 2010 AHA BLS sequence? - Chest compressions - Airway - Breathing
what are the simultaneous actions of at least 4 rescuers - one rescuer activates the emergency response system
in the team approach to CPR in a health care setting?
- a second begins chest compressions
- a third is either providing ventilations or retrieving the bag-mask for
rescue breathing
- a fourth is retrieving a defibrillator and setting it up
*communication among team members is especially important while
performing chest compressions as one rescuer gets fatigued another
takes over; this helps ensure proper rate and depth; counting out loud
helps w/ coordination among rescuers and the ability to switch roles
while minimizing interruptions in chest compressions
healthcare providers should check victim simultaneously - begin CPR w/ chest compressions → after first set of compressions
for both response & breathing - if the victim is not
breathing normally (agonal gasps), what do you do? open airway and give 2 breaths
- More than half the patients in cardiac arrest gasp. Usually, this gasping
or agonal breathing stops within about four minutes, which is why many
experts have not recognized this phenomenon so far! Gasping is a
survival reflex triggered by the brain and can increase the chances of
survival for someone in cardiac arrest.
- Gasping is an indication that the brain is still alive and it tells you that if
you start and continue uninterrupted chest compressions, the person has
a high chance of surviving. The challenge is to educate bystanders that if
they are helping someone in cardiac arrest, not to mistake gasping for
breathing. Contrary as it may seem, a person who is gasping is not OK -
they need chest compressions. Bystander-initiated CPR has been shown
to be a cardiac arrest victim's only chance of survival until an automated
external defibrillator (AED) or the paramedics get to the scene
for how long and where should you check for a pulse on - check for no longer than 10 sec
an adult, child, and infant?
- adult: carotid a.
- child: carotid or femoral aa
- infant: brachial a.
what are the preferred types of defibrillators for infants? - manual defibrillator is preferred → if not available, use AED equipped
w/ pediatric dose attenuator → if not available, use AED
, BLS ACLS PALS Questions and Answers
which of the following is a characteristic of high-quality C. compressing at a depth of at least 2 inches
CPR in adults?
A. minimizing recoil - high-quality CPR for adults includes starting compressions w/i 10 sec
B. compressing at a depth of about 1 inche of recognizing cardiac arrest, compressing at a depth of at lest 2 inches,
C. compressing at a depth of at least 2 inches allowing complete chest recoil, minimizing interruptions, and giving
D. checking for a pulse every minute
effective but not excessive breaths
according to the 2010 AHA guidelines for CPR and ECC, B. C-A-B (chest compressions, airway, breathing)
the BLS sequence of steps is now
A. B-C-A (breathing, chest compressions, airway)
B. C-A-B (chest compressions, airway, breathing)
C. A-B-C (airway, breathing, chest compressions)
the main benefit of changing the BLS sequence of steps C. rescuers can start chest compressions sooner
is that
A. rescuers no longer need to give breaths
B. it slows the time to compressions so the rescuer does
not begin CPR too quickly
C. rescuers can start chest compressions sooner
the first link in the AHA adult Chain of Survival is D. immediate recognition of cardiac arrest and activation of the
A. rapid defibrillation
B. early high-quality bystander CPR emergency response system
C. effective advanced life support, including stabilization
and transport
D. immediate recognition of cardiac arrest and activation
of the emergency response system
the 2010 AHA guidelines for CPR and ECC removed the A. true
step of "look, listen, and feel" from the BLS sequence
A. true
B. false
the 2010 AHA guidelines for CPR and ECC recommend A. 10 seconds
that to identify cardiac arrest in an unresponsive victim
with no breathing (or no normal breathing, only gasping),
a healthcare provider should check a pulse for no more
than
A. 10 seconds
B. 15 seconds
C. 20 seconds
D. 30 seconds
according to the 2010 AHA guidelines for CPR and ECC, D. at least 100 compressions per minute
the recommended rate for performing chest
compressions for victims of all ages is
A. at least 40 compressions per minute
B. at least 60 compressions per minute
C. at least 80 compressions per minute
D. at least 100 compressions per minute
the 5 links in the AHA adult Chain of Survival are D. effective advanced life support, and integrated post-cardiac arrest
recognition and activation, early CPR, rapid debrillation,
A. relief of choking, and integrated post-cardiac arrest care
care
B. effective advanced life support, and relief of choking
C. rapid transportation to a healthcare facility, and
integrated post-cardiac arrest care
D. effective advanced life support, and integrated post-
cardiac arrest care
for BLS/CPR purposes, when is an individual considered - adults include adolescents and older
an adult?
- i.e. anyone after the onset of puberty; signs of puberty include chest or
underarm hair in males, and any breast development in females
, BLS ACLS PALS Questions and Answers
what are the main parts of BLS? - Chest compressions - Airway - Breathing - Debifrillation
what are the 4 initial BLS steps for adults? 1. assess the victim for a response and for breathing; if there is no
response and no breathing or no normal breathing (e.e. only gasping)
shout for help
2. if you are alone, activate the emergency response system and get an
AED (or debfibrillator) if available and return to the victim
3. check the victim's pulse (take no more than 10 seconds)
4. if you do not definitely feel a pulse w/i 10 seconds, perform 5 cycles of
compression and breaths (30:2), starting with compressions (C-A-B
sequence)
what 3 actions should the first rescuer at the scene 1. make sure scene is safe for you and victim; you do not want to become
perform during Step 1: Assessment and Scene Safety?
a victim yourself
2. tap victim's shoulder and shout "are you all right?"
3. check to see if victim is breathing; if a victim is not breathing or not
breathing normally (i.e. only gasping), you must activate the emergency
response system
what are agonal gasps and what do they indicate? - agonal gasps are not normal breathing and may be present in the first
minutes after sudden cardiac arrest
- person who gasps usually looks like he is drawing air in v. quickly;
mouth may be open and jaw, head or neck may move w/ gasps
- gasps may appear forceful or weak, some time may pass between gasps
b/c they usually happen at a slow rate
- gasp may sound like a snort, snore, groan
- agonal gasps are a sign of cardiac arrest in someone who doesn't
respond
→ activate emergency response system, check pulse, start CPR
what actions should you take if you are alone or if there - shout for help →
is another rescuer, during Step 2: Activate the
Emergency Response System and get and AED? → if another rescuer responds → send him/her to activate emergency
response system & get the AED or defibrillator
→ if no one responds → activate the emergency response system → get
the AED (or defibrillator) → return to victim to check pulse and begin CPR
(C-A-B sequence)
what 3 actions should a rescuer perform during Step 3: 1. locate trachea, using 2-3 fingers
Pulse Check?
2. slide these 2-3 fingers into groove between trachea and muscles at
side of neck, where you can feel carotid pulse
3. feel for a pulse for no more than 10 seconds; if you do not definitely
feel a pulse, begin CPR, starting w/ chest compressions (C-A-B
sequence)
what actions should you take as the lone rescuer, during - lone rescuer should use universal compressions-to-breaths ratio of 30
Step 4: Begin CPR?
compressions to 2 breaths when giving CPR to victims of any age
- when you give compressions, it is important to push chest hard and
fast, at a rate of at least 100 compressions per minute, allow the chest to
recoil completely after each compression, and minimize interruptions in
compressions
- begin CPR w/ compressions (C-A-B sequence)
for adults, children, and infants, what is the universal one 30:2
rescuer compressions to breath ratio?
*adult 2-rescuer ratio is also 30:2
*excluding newly born infants in the delivery room
for infants, children, and adults what is the two rescuers - infant and child 2-rescuer ratio is 15:2
compressions to breath ratio?
- adult both 1- and 2-rescuer ratio is 30:2
→ with one rescuer doing compressions and the other doing breaths
what defines an individual as a child? - anywhere between 1 year and puberty
- signs of puberty include chest or underarm hair on mails and any
breast development in females
what are the 7 steps for one rescuer child BLS? 1. shake and shout at victim to determine if they are responsive
2. assess if they are breathing - ear to mouth or watch chest
3. if child does not respond and s/he is not breathing, yell for help - ask
second person to get AED
4. feel for child's carotid or femoral pulse for no more than 10 seconds
5. if no pulse, unsure, or < 60 bpm, begin 30:2 CPR - compression depth
should be ∼1/3 of chest, ∼2 in.
6. after 2 min (5 cycles) and no other help has arrived, leave child to call
EMS and get an AED
7. use and follow AED prompts when available while continuing CPR until
EMS arrives or child's condition normalizes
what are the 7 steps for two rescuer child and infant 1. shake and shout at victim to determine if they are responsive
BLS?
2. assess if they are breathing - ear to mouth or watch chest
3. if child does not respond and s/he is not breathing, send second
person to activate emergency response system and to get an AED
4. feel for child's carotid or femoral pulse for no more than 10 seconds
5. if no pulse, unsure, or < 60 bpm, begin 30:2 CPR - compression depth
should be ∼1/3 of chest, ∼2 in.
6. when second rescuer returns, begin doing CPR by performing 15
compressions by one rescuer and 2 breaths by the second rescuer
7. use and follow AED prompts when available while continuing CPR until
EMS arrives or child's condition normalizes
list 6 critical characteristics of high-quality CPR that - start compressions w/i 10 sec of recognition of cardiac arrest
improve a victim's chances of survival
- push hard, push fast: compress at rate of at least 100/min w/ depth of
at least 2" (5 cm) for adults, and at least one-third anterior-posterior
diameter of chest for children (~2" or 5 cm) and infants (~1.5" or 4 cm)
- allow complete chest recoil after each compression
- minimize interruptions in compressions (limit to <10 sec)
- give effective breaths that make chest rise
- avoid excessive ventilation
what are the 5 links in the Adult Chain of Survival? - immediate recognition of cardiac arrest and activation of emergency
response system
- early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) w/ an emphasis on chest
compressions
- rapid defibrillation
- effective advanced life support
- integrated post-cardiac arrest care
, BLS ACLS PALS Questions and Answers
what are the different causes of cardiac arrest in adults - adults: cardiac arrest is often sudden and results from cardiac cause
and children?
- children: cardiac arrest is often secondary to respiratory failure and
shock
what are the 5 links in the Pediatric Chain of Survival? - prevention of arrest by identifying children at risk
- early high-quality bystander CPR
- rapid activation of EMS (or other emergency response system
- effective advanced life support (incl. rapid stabilization and transport to
definitive care and rehabilitiation)
- integrated post-cardiac arrest care
what is the 2010 AHA BLS sequence? - Chest compressions - Airway - Breathing
what are the simultaneous actions of at least 4 rescuers - one rescuer activates the emergency response system
in the team approach to CPR in a health care setting?
- a second begins chest compressions
- a third is either providing ventilations or retrieving the bag-mask for
rescue breathing
- a fourth is retrieving a defibrillator and setting it up
*communication among team members is especially important while
performing chest compressions as one rescuer gets fatigued another
takes over; this helps ensure proper rate and depth; counting out loud
helps w/ coordination among rescuers and the ability to switch roles
while minimizing interruptions in chest compressions
healthcare providers should check victim simultaneously - begin CPR w/ chest compressions → after first set of compressions
for both response & breathing - if the victim is not
breathing normally (agonal gasps), what do you do? open airway and give 2 breaths
- More than half the patients in cardiac arrest gasp. Usually, this gasping
or agonal breathing stops within about four minutes, which is why many
experts have not recognized this phenomenon so far! Gasping is a
survival reflex triggered by the brain and can increase the chances of
survival for someone in cardiac arrest.
- Gasping is an indication that the brain is still alive and it tells you that if
you start and continue uninterrupted chest compressions, the person has
a high chance of surviving. The challenge is to educate bystanders that if
they are helping someone in cardiac arrest, not to mistake gasping for
breathing. Contrary as it may seem, a person who is gasping is not OK -
they need chest compressions. Bystander-initiated CPR has been shown
to be a cardiac arrest victim's only chance of survival until an automated
external defibrillator (AED) or the paramedics get to the scene
for how long and where should you check for a pulse on - check for no longer than 10 sec
an adult, child, and infant?
- adult: carotid a.
- child: carotid or femoral aa
- infant: brachial a.
what are the preferred types of defibrillators for infants? - manual defibrillator is preferred → if not available, use AED equipped
w/ pediatric dose attenuator → if not available, use AED
, BLS ACLS PALS Questions and Answers
which of the following is a characteristic of high-quality C. compressing at a depth of at least 2 inches
CPR in adults?
A. minimizing recoil - high-quality CPR for adults includes starting compressions w/i 10 sec
B. compressing at a depth of about 1 inche of recognizing cardiac arrest, compressing at a depth of at lest 2 inches,
C. compressing at a depth of at least 2 inches allowing complete chest recoil, minimizing interruptions, and giving
D. checking for a pulse every minute
effective but not excessive breaths
according to the 2010 AHA guidelines for CPR and ECC, B. C-A-B (chest compressions, airway, breathing)
the BLS sequence of steps is now
A. B-C-A (breathing, chest compressions, airway)
B. C-A-B (chest compressions, airway, breathing)
C. A-B-C (airway, breathing, chest compressions)
the main benefit of changing the BLS sequence of steps C. rescuers can start chest compressions sooner
is that
A. rescuers no longer need to give breaths
B. it slows the time to compressions so the rescuer does
not begin CPR too quickly
C. rescuers can start chest compressions sooner
the first link in the AHA adult Chain of Survival is D. immediate recognition of cardiac arrest and activation of the
A. rapid defibrillation
B. early high-quality bystander CPR emergency response system
C. effective advanced life support, including stabilization
and transport
D. immediate recognition of cardiac arrest and activation
of the emergency response system
the 2010 AHA guidelines for CPR and ECC removed the A. true
step of "look, listen, and feel" from the BLS sequence
A. true
B. false
the 2010 AHA guidelines for CPR and ECC recommend A. 10 seconds
that to identify cardiac arrest in an unresponsive victim
with no breathing (or no normal breathing, only gasping),
a healthcare provider should check a pulse for no more
than
A. 10 seconds
B. 15 seconds
C. 20 seconds
D. 30 seconds
according to the 2010 AHA guidelines for CPR and ECC, D. at least 100 compressions per minute
the recommended rate for performing chest
compressions for victims of all ages is
A. at least 40 compressions per minute
B. at least 60 compressions per minute
C. at least 80 compressions per minute
D. at least 100 compressions per minute
the 5 links in the AHA adult Chain of Survival are D. effective advanced life support, and integrated post-cardiac arrest
recognition and activation, early CPR, rapid debrillation,
A. relief of choking, and integrated post-cardiac arrest care
care
B. effective advanced life support, and relief of choking
C. rapid transportation to a healthcare facility, and
integrated post-cardiac arrest care
D. effective advanced life support, and integrated post-
cardiac arrest care
for BLS/CPR purposes, when is an individual considered - adults include adolescents and older
an adult?
- i.e. anyone after the onset of puberty; signs of puberty include chest or
underarm hair in males, and any breast development in females
, BLS ACLS PALS Questions and Answers
what are the main parts of BLS? - Chest compressions - Airway - Breathing - Debifrillation
what are the 4 initial BLS steps for adults? 1. assess the victim for a response and for breathing; if there is no
response and no breathing or no normal breathing (e.e. only gasping)
shout for help
2. if you are alone, activate the emergency response system and get an
AED (or debfibrillator) if available and return to the victim
3. check the victim's pulse (take no more than 10 seconds)
4. if you do not definitely feel a pulse w/i 10 seconds, perform 5 cycles of
compression and breaths (30:2), starting with compressions (C-A-B
sequence)
what 3 actions should the first rescuer at the scene 1. make sure scene is safe for you and victim; you do not want to become
perform during Step 1: Assessment and Scene Safety?
a victim yourself
2. tap victim's shoulder and shout "are you all right?"
3. check to see if victim is breathing; if a victim is not breathing or not
breathing normally (i.e. only gasping), you must activate the emergency
response system
what are agonal gasps and what do they indicate? - agonal gasps are not normal breathing and may be present in the first
minutes after sudden cardiac arrest
- person who gasps usually looks like he is drawing air in v. quickly;
mouth may be open and jaw, head or neck may move w/ gasps
- gasps may appear forceful or weak, some time may pass between gasps
b/c they usually happen at a slow rate
- gasp may sound like a snort, snore, groan
- agonal gasps are a sign of cardiac arrest in someone who doesn't
respond
→ activate emergency response system, check pulse, start CPR
what actions should you take if you are alone or if there - shout for help →
is another rescuer, during Step 2: Activate the
Emergency Response System and get and AED? → if another rescuer responds → send him/her to activate emergency
response system & get the AED or defibrillator
→ if no one responds → activate the emergency response system → get
the AED (or defibrillator) → return to victim to check pulse and begin CPR
(C-A-B sequence)
what 3 actions should a rescuer perform during Step 3: 1. locate trachea, using 2-3 fingers
Pulse Check?
2. slide these 2-3 fingers into groove between trachea and muscles at
side of neck, where you can feel carotid pulse
3. feel for a pulse for no more than 10 seconds; if you do not definitely
feel a pulse, begin CPR, starting w/ chest compressions (C-A-B
sequence)
what actions should you take as the lone rescuer, during - lone rescuer should use universal compressions-to-breaths ratio of 30
Step 4: Begin CPR?
compressions to 2 breaths when giving CPR to victims of any age
- when you give compressions, it is important to push chest hard and
fast, at a rate of at least 100 compressions per minute, allow the chest to
recoil completely after each compression, and minimize interruptions in
compressions
- begin CPR w/ compressions (C-A-B sequence)
