Review and Pretest FCCS Exam 2025
Questions and Answers
Which of the following parameters may be a late sign of cardiovascular disturbance signaling failure
of the compensatory mechanisms?
A. Tachycardia
B. Bradycardia
C. Hypotension
D. Hypertension - ANSWER✔✔-C
Investigative tests should be based on the patient's history and physical examination as well as on
previous tests. Which of the following is one of the most important indicators of critical illness?
A. Respiratory acidosis
B. Metabolic acidosis
C. Elevated creatinine
D. Hyponatremia - ANSWER✔✔-B
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,A 22-year-old man is brought to the emergency room after falling from a horse. He is awaiting
transfer to another facility. He has a chest contusion and a non-displaced femur fracture. He is in
spinal motion restriction with a cervical collar and long backboard. He has worsening respiratory
distress and hypoxemia requiring endotracheal intubation. Which of the following modifications of
the manual assisted ventilation technique is appropriate?
A. Place an oral airway one size larger than usual.
B. Add additional downward pressure on the face mask once it is sealed.
C. Use a jaw thrust technique in place of neck extension.
D. Increase the tidal volume with each manual assisted breath. - ANSWER✔✔-C
Which of the following anatomic features is most likely to contribute to difficulty in maintaining a
patent airway in a supine patient?
A. Edentulous mandible
B. Posteriorly displaced tongue
C. Deviated nasal septum
D. Anteriorly displaced thyroid cartilage - ANSWER✔✔-B
An elderly patient is on the medical ward for respiratory distress. Which of the following is correct
regarding airway assessment?
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, A. Laryngeal displacement toward the chest during inspiration occurs only with upper airway
obstruction
B. Chest rise with inspiration indicates an adequate tidal volume
C. Unilateral absent breath sounds on auscultation is a tension pneumothorax
D. Complete airway obstruction is likely when chest retraction and movement is present, but there
are no breath sounds - ANSWER✔✔-D
An 82-year-old man who awoke with chest pain in the morning is being evaluated in the emergency
department. He is alert and oriented. Shortly after being placed on a cardiac monitor in normal sinus
rhythm with ST segment elevations, he becomes unresponsive and develops ventricular fibrillation.
Which of the following initial interventions is most appropriate for this patient?
A. Do not initiate treatment because, due to his age, he probably has a do-not-resuscitate order on
file.
B. Attempt to contact the family before treating to discuss the level of intervention.
C. Start cardiopulmonary resuscitation while preparing to defibrillate.
D. Start bag-mask-valve ventilation while preparing to intubate. - ANSWER✔✔-C
Which of the following is the purpose of cardiopulmonary resuscitation?
A. To reverse symptomatic bradycardia in an ICU patient who is on multiple vasoactive infusions
B. To reverse sudden cardiac death in a patient who is in the palliative care unit
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Questions and Answers
Which of the following parameters may be a late sign of cardiovascular disturbance signaling failure
of the compensatory mechanisms?
A. Tachycardia
B. Bradycardia
C. Hypotension
D. Hypertension - ANSWER✔✔-C
Investigative tests should be based on the patient's history and physical examination as well as on
previous tests. Which of the following is one of the most important indicators of critical illness?
A. Respiratory acidosis
B. Metabolic acidosis
C. Elevated creatinine
D. Hyponatremia - ANSWER✔✔-B
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,A 22-year-old man is brought to the emergency room after falling from a horse. He is awaiting
transfer to another facility. He has a chest contusion and a non-displaced femur fracture. He is in
spinal motion restriction with a cervical collar and long backboard. He has worsening respiratory
distress and hypoxemia requiring endotracheal intubation. Which of the following modifications of
the manual assisted ventilation technique is appropriate?
A. Place an oral airway one size larger than usual.
B. Add additional downward pressure on the face mask once it is sealed.
C. Use a jaw thrust technique in place of neck extension.
D. Increase the tidal volume with each manual assisted breath. - ANSWER✔✔-C
Which of the following anatomic features is most likely to contribute to difficulty in maintaining a
patent airway in a supine patient?
A. Edentulous mandible
B. Posteriorly displaced tongue
C. Deviated nasal septum
D. Anteriorly displaced thyroid cartilage - ANSWER✔✔-B
An elderly patient is on the medical ward for respiratory distress. Which of the following is correct
regarding airway assessment?
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
, A. Laryngeal displacement toward the chest during inspiration occurs only with upper airway
obstruction
B. Chest rise with inspiration indicates an adequate tidal volume
C. Unilateral absent breath sounds on auscultation is a tension pneumothorax
D. Complete airway obstruction is likely when chest retraction and movement is present, but there
are no breath sounds - ANSWER✔✔-D
An 82-year-old man who awoke with chest pain in the morning is being evaluated in the emergency
department. He is alert and oriented. Shortly after being placed on a cardiac monitor in normal sinus
rhythm with ST segment elevations, he becomes unresponsive and develops ventricular fibrillation.
Which of the following initial interventions is most appropriate for this patient?
A. Do not initiate treatment because, due to his age, he probably has a do-not-resuscitate order on
file.
B. Attempt to contact the family before treating to discuss the level of intervention.
C. Start cardiopulmonary resuscitation while preparing to defibrillate.
D. Start bag-mask-valve ventilation while preparing to intubate. - ANSWER✔✔-C
Which of the following is the purpose of cardiopulmonary resuscitation?
A. To reverse symptomatic bradycardia in an ICU patient who is on multiple vasoactive infusions
B. To reverse sudden cardiac death in a patient who is in the palliative care unit
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
