Cardiology Fisdap Exam for EMT

Cardiology Fisdap Exam for EMT A 44-year-old man reports dizziness and lightheadness. His BP is 88/26 mm Hg, his heart rate is 190 beats per minute and weak. His skin is cool clammy and pale. Why is his BP low? - correct answer ==decreased ventricular timing Switching compressors during two-rescuer CPR: - correct answer ==should occur every two minutes throughout the arrest Stable angina - correct answer ==chest pain that occurs when a person is active or under severe stress Unstable angina - correct answer ==chest pain that occurs while a person is at rest and not exerting himself What occurs during recoil of the chest inbetween compressions - correct answer ==a vacuum is created and blood returns to the heart A group of symptoms caused by myocardial ischemia; includes angina and myocardial infarction - correct answer ==acute coronary syndrome A heart attack; death of the heart muscle following obstruction of blood flow to it; in this context the attack is "new" or "happening right now" - correct answer ==acute myocardial infarction (AMI) Transient (short-lived) chest discomfort caused by partial or temporary blockage of blood flow to the heart muscle; also called angina - correct answer ==angina pectoris a weakness in the wall of the aorta that makes it susceptible to rupture - correct answer ==aortic aneurism the one way valve that lies between the left ventricle and the aorta keeps blood from flowing back into the left ventricle after the left ventricle ejects its blood into the aorta; one of the four heart valves - correct answer ==aortic valve a tracing on an ECG that is the result of interference, such as patient movement, rather than the heart's electrical activity - correct answer ==artifact the complete absence of all heart electrical activity - correct answer ==asystole the ability of cardiac muscle cells to contract without stimulation from the nervous system - correct answer ==automatically when the heart fails to generate effective and detectable blood flow; pulses are not palpable, even if muscular and electrical activity continues in the heart - correct answer ==cardiac arrest a disorder in which the hear loses part of its ability to effectively pump blood, usually as a result of damage to the heart muscle and usually resulting in a backup of fluid into the lungs - correct answer ==congestive heart failure the blood vessels that carry blood and nutrients to the heart muscle - correct answer ==coronary arteries to shock the fibrillating (chaotically beating) heart with specialized electric current in an attempt to restore a normal, rhythmic beat - correct answer ==defibrillate swelling in the part of the body closest to the ground, caused by the collection of fluid in the tissues; a possible sign of congestive heart failure - correct answer ==dependent edema Widening of a tubular structure such as a coronary artery. - correct answer ==dilation a condition in which the inner layers of an artery, such as the aorta, become seperatated, allowing blood (at high pressures) to flow between the layers - correct answer ==dissecting aneurysm An irregular or abnormal rhythm of the heart - correct answer ==dysrhythmia an emergency situation created by excessively high blood pressure, which can lead to serious complications such as a stroke or aneurysm - correct answer ==hypertensive emergency death of body tissues, usually caused by interruption of its blood supply - correct answer ==infarction the inside diameter of an artery or other hollow structure - correct answer ==lumen the heart muscle - correct answer ==myocardium a blockage, usually of a tubular structure such as a blood vessel - correct answer ==occlusion a blood clot that has formed within a blood vessel and is floating within the bloodstream - correct answer ==thromboembolism disorganized, ineffective quivering of the ventricles, resulting in no blood flow and a state of cardiac arrest - correct answer ==ventricular fibrillation a rapid heart rhythm in which the electrical impulse begins in the ventricle (instead of the atrium), which may result in inadequate blood flow and eventually deteriorate into cardiac arrest - correct answer ==ventricular tachycardia How does nitro work? - correct answer ==vasodilation and increased cardiac oxygen demand pulmonary edema - correct answer ==fluid in the air sacs and bronchioles of the lung; cannot breathe while lying down Patient presents with weakness and nausea. She is conscious and alert and her skin is cool and clammy. BP is 140/88, pulse is 70 and regular, and R is 16 and unlabored. She has hypertension (high BP), diabetes, and a pacemaker. What should you suspect? - correct answe