ALS/ACLS - RED CROSS FINAL EXAM
The resuscitation team suspects that hyperkalemia is the cause of cardiac arrest in a
patient brought to the emergency department. Which finding on a 12-lead ECG
would confirm this suspicion? - ANSWER Wide-complex ventricular rhythm or tall,
pointed T waves
A patient with dyspnea and a change in mental status arrives at the emergency
department. The healthcare team completes the necessary assessments and begins
to care for the patient, including initiating cardiac monitoring, pulse oximetry,
supplemental oxygen and vascular access. The team reviews the patient's ECG
rhythm strip, as shown in the following figure. Which agent would the team most
likely administer? - ANSWER Atropine 0.5 mg every 4 to 5 minutes
A patient experiencing an unstable bradyarrhythmia does not respond to atropine or
transcutaneous pacing. Which intervention would the healthcare provider use next? -
ANSWER Administration of an epinephrine infusion
A patient's ECG reveals a tachyarrhythmia. The patient is hemodynamically stable
and has a heart rate ranging from 120 to 135 beats per minute. Based on the
findings of the secondary assessment, which statement(s) by the patient would the
team interpret as a possible contributing cause? - ANSWER 1. "I've had a terrible
cold with a horrible cough and fever the past week."
2. "I've been so anxious lately because I just lost my job."
3. "I've been vomiting for the past 2 days from a gastrointestinal bug."
A patient's ECG reveals a narrow QRS complex with a regular rhythm, indicating a
narrow-complex supraventricular tachyarrhythmia. The patient is hemodynamically
stable. Which intervention would be initiated first? - ANSWER Vagal maneuvers
A patient in the telemetry unit is stable. Cardiac monitoring indicates the patient has
ventricular tachycardia with a pulse. Further assessment reveals that the corrected
QT interval is greater than 0.46 seconds. Which treatment would be appropriate at
this time? - ANSWER Synchronized cardioversion
An ECG strip of a patient in the emergency department reveals the following rhythm.
Which feature would the healthcare provider interpret as indicating atrial fibrillation? -
ANSWER Absence of discrete P waves and presence of irregularly irregular QRS
complexes
A patient is brought into the emergency department. The patient does not have a
pulse. The cardiac monitor shows the following rhythm. The team interprets this as
which condition? - ANSWER Ventricular tachycardia
A patient with acute renal failure experiences cardiac arrest. Just before the cardiac
arrest, the patient's ECG showed peaked T waves. What might be causing the
patient's cardiac arrest? - ANSWER Hyperkalemia
, A member of the resuscitation team is preparing to defibrillate a patient in cardiac
arrest using a biphasic defibrillator. The team member would set the energy dose
according to the manufacturer's recommendations, which is usually: - ANSWER 120
to 200 joules
A member of the resuscitation team is preparing to administer medications
intravenously to a patient in cardiac arrest. The team member follows each
medication administration with a bolus of fluid. How much would the team member
give? - ANSWER 10 to 20 mL
A 30-year-old patient has been brought to the emergency department in full cardiac
arrest. The cardiac monitor shows the following rhythm. Interpretation of this rhythm
would suggest which of the following as a possible precipitating factor? - ANSWER
Electrocution
Cardiac monitoring of a patient in cardiac arrest reveals ventricular fibrillation. What
intervention would the team perform next? - ANSWER Administer 1 shock.
A patient has experienced return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after cardiac
arrest. The healthcare team is conducting a secondary assessment to determine the
possible cause of the patient's cardiac arrest. Before the arrest, the patient exhibited
jugular venous distension, cyanosis, apnea and hyperresonance on percussion. The
patient was also difficult to ventilate during the response. The team would most likely
suspect which condition as the cause? - ANSWER Tension pneumothorax
A patient in cardiac arrest experiences return of spontaneous circulation. As part of
post-cardiac arrest care, the patient is receiving mechanical ventilation. Which
finding(s) would indicate the need for change in the ventilator settings to optimize the
patient's ventilation and oxygenation? - ANSWER 1. SaO2 92%
2. PaCO2 35 mmHg
3. ETCO2 50 mmHg
After cardiac arrest and successful resuscitation, the patient has a return of
spontaneous circulation. The patient is unable to follow verbal commands and has a
Glasgow Coma Scale score of 7. Targeted temperature management is initiated.
Which method(s) would be appropriate for the resuscitation team to use? - ANSWER
1. Applying cooling blankets to the patient's body
2. Giving an ice-cold IV fluid bolus
3. Using an endovascular catheter
A 40-year-old patient in the waiting room of the primary care provider's office
approaches a staff member and says, "I'm having really severe, crushing chest pain
that is moving to both my arms." The patient is diaphoretic and dyspneic. Which
action would be appropriate for the staff member to take? - ANSWER Activate the
emergency medical services system.
A patient with suspected acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is placed on a cardiac
monitor. The patient is complaining of dyspnea and is given supplemental oxygen.
The provider determines that the oxygen is effective based on which SaO2 level? -
ANSWER 95%
The resuscitation team suspects that hyperkalemia is the cause of cardiac arrest in a
patient brought to the emergency department. Which finding on a 12-lead ECG
would confirm this suspicion? - ANSWER Wide-complex ventricular rhythm or tall,
pointed T waves
A patient with dyspnea and a change in mental status arrives at the emergency
department. The healthcare team completes the necessary assessments and begins
to care for the patient, including initiating cardiac monitoring, pulse oximetry,
supplemental oxygen and vascular access. The team reviews the patient's ECG
rhythm strip, as shown in the following figure. Which agent would the team most
likely administer? - ANSWER Atropine 0.5 mg every 4 to 5 minutes
A patient experiencing an unstable bradyarrhythmia does not respond to atropine or
transcutaneous pacing. Which intervention would the healthcare provider use next? -
ANSWER Administration of an epinephrine infusion
A patient's ECG reveals a tachyarrhythmia. The patient is hemodynamically stable
and has a heart rate ranging from 120 to 135 beats per minute. Based on the
findings of the secondary assessment, which statement(s) by the patient would the
team interpret as a possible contributing cause? - ANSWER 1. "I've had a terrible
cold with a horrible cough and fever the past week."
2. "I've been so anxious lately because I just lost my job."
3. "I've been vomiting for the past 2 days from a gastrointestinal bug."
A patient's ECG reveals a narrow QRS complex with a regular rhythm, indicating a
narrow-complex supraventricular tachyarrhythmia. The patient is hemodynamically
stable. Which intervention would be initiated first? - ANSWER Vagal maneuvers
A patient in the telemetry unit is stable. Cardiac monitoring indicates the patient has
ventricular tachycardia with a pulse. Further assessment reveals that the corrected
QT interval is greater than 0.46 seconds. Which treatment would be appropriate at
this time? - ANSWER Synchronized cardioversion
An ECG strip of a patient in the emergency department reveals the following rhythm.
Which feature would the healthcare provider interpret as indicating atrial fibrillation? -
ANSWER Absence of discrete P waves and presence of irregularly irregular QRS
complexes
A patient is brought into the emergency department. The patient does not have a
pulse. The cardiac monitor shows the following rhythm. The team interprets this as
which condition? - ANSWER Ventricular tachycardia
A patient with acute renal failure experiences cardiac arrest. Just before the cardiac
arrest, the patient's ECG showed peaked T waves. What might be causing the
patient's cardiac arrest? - ANSWER Hyperkalemia
, A member of the resuscitation team is preparing to defibrillate a patient in cardiac
arrest using a biphasic defibrillator. The team member would set the energy dose
according to the manufacturer's recommendations, which is usually: - ANSWER 120
to 200 joules
A member of the resuscitation team is preparing to administer medications
intravenously to a patient in cardiac arrest. The team member follows each
medication administration with a bolus of fluid. How much would the team member
give? - ANSWER 10 to 20 mL
A 30-year-old patient has been brought to the emergency department in full cardiac
arrest. The cardiac monitor shows the following rhythm. Interpretation of this rhythm
would suggest which of the following as a possible precipitating factor? - ANSWER
Electrocution
Cardiac monitoring of a patient in cardiac arrest reveals ventricular fibrillation. What
intervention would the team perform next? - ANSWER Administer 1 shock.
A patient has experienced return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after cardiac
arrest. The healthcare team is conducting a secondary assessment to determine the
possible cause of the patient's cardiac arrest. Before the arrest, the patient exhibited
jugular venous distension, cyanosis, apnea and hyperresonance on percussion. The
patient was also difficult to ventilate during the response. The team would most likely
suspect which condition as the cause? - ANSWER Tension pneumothorax
A patient in cardiac arrest experiences return of spontaneous circulation. As part of
post-cardiac arrest care, the patient is receiving mechanical ventilation. Which
finding(s) would indicate the need for change in the ventilator settings to optimize the
patient's ventilation and oxygenation? - ANSWER 1. SaO2 92%
2. PaCO2 35 mmHg
3. ETCO2 50 mmHg
After cardiac arrest and successful resuscitation, the patient has a return of
spontaneous circulation. The patient is unable to follow verbal commands and has a
Glasgow Coma Scale score of 7. Targeted temperature management is initiated.
Which method(s) would be appropriate for the resuscitation team to use? - ANSWER
1. Applying cooling blankets to the patient's body
2. Giving an ice-cold IV fluid bolus
3. Using an endovascular catheter
A 40-year-old patient in the waiting room of the primary care provider's office
approaches a staff member and says, "I'm having really severe, crushing chest pain
that is moving to both my arms." The patient is diaphoretic and dyspneic. Which
action would be appropriate for the staff member to take? - ANSWER Activate the
emergency medical services system.
A patient with suspected acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is placed on a cardiac
monitor. The patient is complaining of dyspnea and is given supplemental oxygen.
The provider determines that the oxygen is effective based on which SaO2 level? -
ANSWER 95%
