ACLS WRITTEN EXAM (ACTUAL EXAM)
ALL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
1. You find an unresponsive pt. who is not breathing. After activating
the emer- gency response system, you determine there is no pulse.
What is your next action?: Start chest compressions of at least 100 per min.
2. You are evaluating a 58-year-old man with chest pain. The blood
pressure is 92/50 mm Hg, the heart rate is 92/min, the nonlabored
respiratory rate is 14 breaths/min, and the pulse oximetry reading is
97%. What assessment step is most important now?: Obtaining a 12 lead
ECG.
3. What is the preferred method of access for epi administration
during cardiac arrest in most pts?: Peripheral IV
4. An AED does not promptly analyze a rythm. What is your next step?:
Begin chest compressions.
5. You have completed 2 minutes of CPR. The ECG monitor displays
the lead II rhythm below, and the patient has no pulse. Another
member of your team resumes chest compressions, and an IV is in
,place. What management step is your next priority?: Administer 1mg of
epinephrine
6. During a pause in CPR, you see this lead II ECG rhythm on the
monitor. The patient has no pulse. What is the next action?: Resume
compressions
7. What is a common but sometimes fatal mistake in cardiac arrest
manage- ment?: Prolonged interruptions in chest compressions.
8. Which action is a componant of high-quality chest comressions?:
Allowing complete chest recoil
9. Which action increases the chance of successful conversion of
ventricular fibrillation?: Providing quality compressions immediately before a
defibrillation attempt.
10. Which situation BEST describes pulseless electrical activity?: Sinus
rythm without a pulse
11. What is the BEST strategy for performing high-quality CPR
on a patient with an advanced airway in place?: Provide continuous chest
compressions without pauses and 10 ventilations per minute.
, 12. Three minutes after witnessing a cardiac arrest, one member
of your team inserts an endotracheal tube while another
performs continuous chest com-
pressions. During subsequent ventilation, you notice the presence
of a wave- form on the capnography screen and a PETCO2 level of 8
mm Hg. What is the significance of this finding?: Chest compressions may not
be ettective.
13. The use of quantitative capnography in intubated patients: allows
for monitoring of CPR quality.
14. For the past 25 minutes, an EMS crew has attempted
resuscitation of a patient who originally presented in ventricular
fibrillation. After the first shock, the ECG screen displayed asystole,
which has persisted despite 2 doses of epinephrine, a fluid bolus,
and high-quality CPR. What is your next treatment?-
: Consider terminating resuscitive ettorts after consulting medical control.
15. Which is a safe and effective practice within the defibrillation
sequence?: Be sure oxygen is not blowing over the patient's chest during the shock.
16. During your assessment, your patient suddenly loses
consciousness. After calling for help and determining that the
patient is not breathing, you are unsure whether the patient has a
ALL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
1. You find an unresponsive pt. who is not breathing. After activating
the emer- gency response system, you determine there is no pulse.
What is your next action?: Start chest compressions of at least 100 per min.
2. You are evaluating a 58-year-old man with chest pain. The blood
pressure is 92/50 mm Hg, the heart rate is 92/min, the nonlabored
respiratory rate is 14 breaths/min, and the pulse oximetry reading is
97%. What assessment step is most important now?: Obtaining a 12 lead
ECG.
3. What is the preferred method of access for epi administration
during cardiac arrest in most pts?: Peripheral IV
4. An AED does not promptly analyze a rythm. What is your next step?:
Begin chest compressions.
5. You have completed 2 minutes of CPR. The ECG monitor displays
the lead II rhythm below, and the patient has no pulse. Another
member of your team resumes chest compressions, and an IV is in
,place. What management step is your next priority?: Administer 1mg of
epinephrine
6. During a pause in CPR, you see this lead II ECG rhythm on the
monitor. The patient has no pulse. What is the next action?: Resume
compressions
7. What is a common but sometimes fatal mistake in cardiac arrest
manage- ment?: Prolonged interruptions in chest compressions.
8. Which action is a componant of high-quality chest comressions?:
Allowing complete chest recoil
9. Which action increases the chance of successful conversion of
ventricular fibrillation?: Providing quality compressions immediately before a
defibrillation attempt.
10. Which situation BEST describes pulseless electrical activity?: Sinus
rythm without a pulse
11. What is the BEST strategy for performing high-quality CPR
on a patient with an advanced airway in place?: Provide continuous chest
compressions without pauses and 10 ventilations per minute.
, 12. Three minutes after witnessing a cardiac arrest, one member
of your team inserts an endotracheal tube while another
performs continuous chest com-
pressions. During subsequent ventilation, you notice the presence
of a wave- form on the capnography screen and a PETCO2 level of 8
mm Hg. What is the significance of this finding?: Chest compressions may not
be ettective.
13. The use of quantitative capnography in intubated patients: allows
for monitoring of CPR quality.
14. For the past 25 minutes, an EMS crew has attempted
resuscitation of a patient who originally presented in ventricular
fibrillation. After the first shock, the ECG screen displayed asystole,
which has persisted despite 2 doses of epinephrine, a fluid bolus,
and high-quality CPR. What is your next treatment?-
: Consider terminating resuscitive ettorts after consulting medical control.
15. Which is a safe and effective practice within the defibrillation
sequence?: Be sure oxygen is not blowing over the patient's chest during the shock.
16. During your assessment, your patient suddenly loses
consciousness. After calling for help and determining that the
patient is not breathing, you are unsure whether the patient has a
