CEN COMPLETE EXAMINATION TEST
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
●● The patient is brought to the ED with an anterior ST-elevation
myocardial infarction (STEMI). You are assessing him for possible
administration of fibrinolytics. An absolute contraindication for this
treatment is:
a. The patient's pain is not relieved by medications.
b. Symptoms began 36 hours before arrival.
c. The patient has received aspirin in the last 2 hours.
d. The patient had a previous MI 6 years ago.
Answer: b. Symptoms began 36 hours before arrival.
Fibrinolytic therapy is generally NOT recommended for patients whose
symptoms began more than 12 hours before arrival. Fibrinolytics should
not be given if the onset of symptoms was more than 24 hours before
arrival UNLESS a posterior MI is diagnosed. In this case, the MI was
anterior.
●● The team is performing CPR on a patient. The rhythm that will
respond to an electrical shock is:
a. Asystole
,b. PEA
c. Ventricular fibrillation
d. SVT
Answer: c. Ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia are the two
rhythms that are considered to be "shockable" cardiac arrest rhythms.
Although asystole and PEA are cardiac arrest rhythms, they will not
respond to electrical shock.
●● When suctioning during a cardiac arrest, suctioning should be
limited to which of the following?
a. Less than 5 seconds
b. Less than 10 seconds
c. Less than 20 seconds
d. Less than 30 seconds
Answer: b. Less than 10 seconds
According to the 2010 BLS and ACLS guidelines, suctioning for longer
than 10 seconds may result in pulling too much oxygen out of the
airways resulting in hypoxemia.
,●● Possible causes of cardiac arrest include all of the following
EXCEPT:
a. Hypervolemia
b. Hypoxia
c. Hypokalemia
d. Tension Pneumothorax
Answer: a. Hypervolemia
Common causes of cardiac arrest are known as the H's and T's and
include: hypovolemia (NOT hypervolemia), hypoxia, hydrogen ion
excess (acidosis), hypo or hyperkalemia, hypothermia, tension
pneumothorax, tamponade, toxins, and thrombosis (pulmonary or
coronary). Correction of these causes can often reverse a cardiac arrest.
●● You are providing ventilations using a Bag-mask device. Suddenly,
you do not see the patient's chest rise with the ventilation. You reposition
the patient to ensure an open airway. When you attempt to ventilate, you
do not see his chest rise. The most likely cause of this is:
a. The bag-mask device is faulty
b. Airway obstruction
c. The patient has suffered an MI
d. Cardiac tamponade
, Answer: b. Airway obstruction
The most likely cause of the failure of the chest to rise during
ventilations is an airway obstruction. Although a faulty bag-mask device
is a possibility, it is unlikely that it would fail in the middle of providing
ventilations.
●● According to American Heart Association ACLS guidelines, cricoid
pressure during intubation:
a. Should be done in all cases.
b. Is no longer recommended.
c. Should only be done on children.
d. None of the above.
Answer: b. Is no longer recommended.
According to the most current AHA guidelines, cricoid pressure may
delay or prevent placement of an advanced airway so is no longer
recommended.
●● You are providing positive pressure ventilation through an ET tube to
a patient in respiratory distress. Indications that you are ventilating too
fast include all of the following EXCEPT:
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
●● The patient is brought to the ED with an anterior ST-elevation
myocardial infarction (STEMI). You are assessing him for possible
administration of fibrinolytics. An absolute contraindication for this
treatment is:
a. The patient's pain is not relieved by medications.
b. Symptoms began 36 hours before arrival.
c. The patient has received aspirin in the last 2 hours.
d. The patient had a previous MI 6 years ago.
Answer: b. Symptoms began 36 hours before arrival.
Fibrinolytic therapy is generally NOT recommended for patients whose
symptoms began more than 12 hours before arrival. Fibrinolytics should
not be given if the onset of symptoms was more than 24 hours before
arrival UNLESS a posterior MI is diagnosed. In this case, the MI was
anterior.
●● The team is performing CPR on a patient. The rhythm that will
respond to an electrical shock is:
a. Asystole
,b. PEA
c. Ventricular fibrillation
d. SVT
Answer: c. Ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia are the two
rhythms that are considered to be "shockable" cardiac arrest rhythms.
Although asystole and PEA are cardiac arrest rhythms, they will not
respond to electrical shock.
●● When suctioning during a cardiac arrest, suctioning should be
limited to which of the following?
a. Less than 5 seconds
b. Less than 10 seconds
c. Less than 20 seconds
d. Less than 30 seconds
Answer: b. Less than 10 seconds
According to the 2010 BLS and ACLS guidelines, suctioning for longer
than 10 seconds may result in pulling too much oxygen out of the
airways resulting in hypoxemia.
,●● Possible causes of cardiac arrest include all of the following
EXCEPT:
a. Hypervolemia
b. Hypoxia
c. Hypokalemia
d. Tension Pneumothorax
Answer: a. Hypervolemia
Common causes of cardiac arrest are known as the H's and T's and
include: hypovolemia (NOT hypervolemia), hypoxia, hydrogen ion
excess (acidosis), hypo or hyperkalemia, hypothermia, tension
pneumothorax, tamponade, toxins, and thrombosis (pulmonary or
coronary). Correction of these causes can often reverse a cardiac arrest.
●● You are providing ventilations using a Bag-mask device. Suddenly,
you do not see the patient's chest rise with the ventilation. You reposition
the patient to ensure an open airway. When you attempt to ventilate, you
do not see his chest rise. The most likely cause of this is:
a. The bag-mask device is faulty
b. Airway obstruction
c. The patient has suffered an MI
d. Cardiac tamponade
, Answer: b. Airway obstruction
The most likely cause of the failure of the chest to rise during
ventilations is an airway obstruction. Although a faulty bag-mask device
is a possibility, it is unlikely that it would fail in the middle of providing
ventilations.
●● According to American Heart Association ACLS guidelines, cricoid
pressure during intubation:
a. Should be done in all cases.
b. Is no longer recommended.
c. Should only be done on children.
d. None of the above.
Answer: b. Is no longer recommended.
According to the most current AHA guidelines, cricoid pressure may
delay or prevent placement of an advanced airway so is no longer
recommended.
●● You are providing positive pressure ventilation through an ET tube to
a patient in respiratory distress. Indications that you are ventilating too
fast include all of the following EXCEPT:
