ALS/ACLS - Red Cross Final Exam
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS(RATED A+)
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 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%
A 35-year-old female patient's ECG is consistent with STEMI. The ECG reveals a new
ST-segment elevation at the J point in leads V2 and V3 of at least which size? -
ANSWER 0.15 mV
A patient with STEMI is experiencing chest pain that is refractory to sublingual
nitroglycerin. Intravenous nitroglycerin is prescribed. When administering this
medication, it would be titrated to maintain which systolic blood pressure? - ANSWER
90 mmHg
A patient experiencing STEMI comes to the emergency department of a large medical
center at 9:30 p.m. The patient states that the symptoms started about 8 p.m. After
confirming the diagnosis and initiating care, the healthcare team schedules the patient
for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The facility is capable of administering
PCI. To achieve the best outcomes, therapy should be administered to this patient by
which time? - ANSWER 11:00 p.m.
A patient presents to the emergency department with mild to moderate recurrent chest
pain, without any nausea or vomiting. A 12-lead ECG is obtained and shows ST-
segment depression with transient T-wave elevation indicative of NSTE-ACS. Cardiac
enzyme levels are obtained and are not elevated. These findings suggest which
condition? - ANSWER Unstable angina
A patient is being treated in the emergency department and is determined to have
NSTE-ACS. Invasive management is planned based on which finding? - ANSWER
Ventricular tachycardia
A patient presents to the emergency department with suspected ACS.
Electrocardiogram and cardiac biomarkers show the patient has ST-segment elevation
myocardial infarction (STEMI). Physical examination reveals signs of left ventricular
dysfunction. Which finding(s) would support this? - ANSWER 1. Pulmonary edema
2. Crackles
3. Hypotension
A patient with a diagnosis of ACS is experiencing cardiogenic shock. Which adjuvant
therapy would be contraindicated? - ANSWER β-Blockers
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS(RATED A+)
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 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%
A 35-year-old female patient's ECG is consistent with STEMI. The ECG reveals a new
ST-segment elevation at the J point in leads V2 and V3 of at least which size? -
ANSWER 0.15 mV
A patient with STEMI is experiencing chest pain that is refractory to sublingual
nitroglycerin. Intravenous nitroglycerin is prescribed. When administering this
medication, it would be titrated to maintain which systolic blood pressure? - ANSWER
90 mmHg
A patient experiencing STEMI comes to the emergency department of a large medical
center at 9:30 p.m. The patient states that the symptoms started about 8 p.m. After
confirming the diagnosis and initiating care, the healthcare team schedules the patient
for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The facility is capable of administering
PCI. To achieve the best outcomes, therapy should be administered to this patient by
which time? - ANSWER 11:00 p.m.
A patient presents to the emergency department with mild to moderate recurrent chest
pain, without any nausea or vomiting. A 12-lead ECG is obtained and shows ST-
segment depression with transient T-wave elevation indicative of NSTE-ACS. Cardiac
enzyme levels are obtained and are not elevated. These findings suggest which
condition? - ANSWER Unstable angina
A patient is being treated in the emergency department and is determined to have
NSTE-ACS. Invasive management is planned based on which finding? - ANSWER
Ventricular tachycardia
A patient presents to the emergency department with suspected ACS.
Electrocardiogram and cardiac biomarkers show the patient has ST-segment elevation
myocardial infarction (STEMI). Physical examination reveals signs of left ventricular
dysfunction. Which finding(s) would support this? - ANSWER 1. Pulmonary edema
2. Crackles
3. Hypotension
A patient with a diagnosis of ACS is experiencing cardiogenic shock. Which adjuvant
therapy would be contraindicated? - ANSWER β-Blockers
