FCCS – 90 Post-Test Review Questions with Answers – Vent Management, ABG, Sepsis, Cardiology, Pregnancy Emergencies – 2025/2026

This document provides a comprehensive set of 90 fully answered review questions for the Fundamental Critical Care Support (FCCS) post-test, tailored for the 2025/2026 academic cycle. It is ideal for healthcare students and professionals preparing for FCCS certification, including those in critical care nursing, emergency medicine, anesthesiology, internal medicine, respiratory therapy, and advanced practice roles (e.g., NP, PA, resident physicians). The material covers essential clinical scenarios and evidence-based interventions in intensive care settings. Key topics include: Ventilator management: types of breaths (volume-, time-, flow-cycled), autoPEEP, PEEP settings, pressure support, FiO2 goals, and when to escalate from non-invasive to invasive ventilation ABG interpretation: delta gap, Winter’s formula, respiratory types (hypoxemic, hypercapnic, mixed), compensation mechanisms Hemodynamics and sedation: post-intubation effects, pressure changes, arrhythmias Cardiology emergencies: STEMI management, inferior MI, SVT, wide complex tachycardia, peripartum cardiomyopathy, shock states Sepsis and infections: diagnostic distinctions (sepsis vs severe sepsis vs septic shock), empiric treatment protocols for CAP, HCAP, SBP, endocarditis, neutropenic fever, and more Neurologic emergencies: subarachnoid hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury (CPP goals), signs of increased ICP Pregnancy-specific complications: preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, aspiration risk, medication contraindications (e.g., ACE inhibitors) Acute respiratory failure and arrest: criteria for intubation, initial management, manual decompression techniques Each Q&A is direct and clinically relevant, making this resource extremely useful for rapid recall, bedside review, or last-minute exam preparation. It aligns with FCCS standards and critical care best practices. Keywords: FCCS, mechanical ventilation, ABG, delta gap, Winter’s formula, acid-base balance, autoPEEP, PEEP, FiO2, assist-control ventilation, SIMV, respiratory failure, tPA, STEMI, sepsis, septic shock, endocarditis, pneumonia, ceftriaxone, cefepime, C. diff, SBP, HELLP, preeclampsia, SVT, amiodarone, adenosine, peripartum cardiomyopathy, hypothermia, critical care, ventilator management, pregnancy emergencies, hemodynamic instability, trauma, TBI