AIR METHODS CRITICAL CARE STUDY EXAMS GUIDE
2026 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔PALS Cardioversion dose - ✔✔0.5-1 J/KG
✔✔PALS Calcium Dose & Indication - ✔✔Only for known/suspected hypocalcemia
20 mg/kg Calcium Chloride SLOW IV push
✔✔PALS Increased ICP Cushings Triad - ✔✔Caused by increased ICP and impending
herniation.
-Irregular Breathing
-Hypertension
-Tachycardia
In adults it's bradycardia
Hyperventilate the patient to prevent further increases in ICP
-hypertonic saline, Osmotic agents (dose?)
-Treat pain and agitation aggressively once airway is established.
-Avoid hyperthermia
✔✔PALS management of respiratory distress due to poisoning - ✔✔-Support airway
-give antidote
-call poison control
✔✔Ventilation Management - ✔✔a Tidal volume is 5-7mL/Kg aprox. 500ml for an adult
-
✔✔hemodynamic changes in Cardiogenic shock - ✔✔SBP (Down)
SVR (UP)
CVP (UP)
CO (Down)
PAP (UP)
Wedge (UP)
PVR (UP)
✔✔Coags (PT/INR/PTT) - ✔✔PT 11-14s
PTT (20-40 sec) heparin
INR (0.9-1.2) Coumadin
Platelets : 150-450k
✔✔Blood Gas - ✔✔pH: 7.35-7.45
PaCO2: 35-45
PaO2: 80-100
HCO3: 22-26
✔✔chemistry panels (renal, hepatic, comprehensive, metabolic) - ✔✔Na+ 135-145
,Cl- 95-105
K+ 3.5-4.5
Cr 0.6-1.2
Glucose 70-100
Magnesium 1.7-2.2
✔✔Magnesium - ✔✔1.7-2.2
✔✔K+ (potassium) - ✔✔3.5-5.0 mEq/L
✔✔Na+ - ✔✔135-145 mEq/L
✔✔Glucose - ✔✔70-110 mg/dL
✔✔Cr (Creatinine) - ✔✔0.6-1.3 mg/dL
✔✔Systemic Vascular Resistance (SVR) - ✔✔the force opposing the movement of
blood within the blood vessels
[(MAP-CVP) / CO] x80
Normal: 750-1600 dynes/sec
✔✔SVR Formula & Normal - ✔✔(MAP - CVP / ) x 80
Normal 750-1600 dynes/sec
✔✔hemodynamic changes in Hypovolemic hemorrhagic shock - ✔✔HR Increased
SBP Decreased
SVR Increased
CVP Decreased
✔✔Hemodynamics of septic shock - ✔✔-CO/CI; INCREASED
-RAP/PAP/PAOP; decreased
-SVR; decreased
-SVO2; INCREASED
✔✔Cl (Cloride) - ✔✔95-105
✔✔Acute Respiratory Failure blood gases - ✔✔
✔✔Calcium - ✔✔Ca2+ 8-10
✔✔Hemoglobin (male and female) - ✔✔Male: 14-18 g/dL
Female: 12-16 g/dL
✔✔Hemotocrit - ✔✔percentage of RBC in a volume of blood
, Males 45-52%
Females 37-48%
Trick: it's the HGb x 3
✔✔Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) - ✔✔3-15 with 15=good and 3=bad
Brain injury GCS:
Minor 13-15
Moderate 9-12 Asses ability to protect airway
Severe 3-8
✔✔volume control ACVC - ✔✔Set Tidal volume and rate, peep, FIO2. Guaranties a set
minute ventilation
✔✔assist control ventilation - ✔✔-Has a preset rate and preset tidal volume
-patient CAN breathe on own, uses own breaths
-when patient initiates own breath, vent will give preset tidal volume
-rate depends on patient's ABG's (CO2 level) the higher the CO2, the higher the rate
-*PEEP will be used with assist control*
-ranges from 5-15cm of H20
Good for sedated patients who can't initiate breaths or who have primary pulmonary
problem medical management
✔✔Spontaneous Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation SIMV - ✔✔-Has a preset rate
/minute ventilation
Allows patient to over breathe a set Spontaneous breaths are not supported, so tidal
volume varies based on what the patient can pull
✔✔Pressure Control Ventilation - ✔✔Set pressure -Machine is set to deliver a certain
pressure over a certain I-time. pressure remains constant
Tidal Volume changes as lungs change
✔✔Pressure Support Ventilation (PSV) - ✔✔-Used to lower the work of spontaneous
breathing and augment a patients spontaneous tidal volume
-PSV is often used with SIMV and CPAP, or as a stand alone mode to facilitate weaning
-Psv should increase spontaneous Vt, decrease respiratory rate and decrease WOB
-PSV decreases work of breathing that is superimposed by the artificial airway
✔✔Stroke Volume (SV) - ✔✔The volume of blood pumped forward with each ventricular
contraction.
EDV-ESV= SV
50-100 cc per beat basically
Males: 65-110
Females: 66-148
2026 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔PALS Cardioversion dose - ✔✔0.5-1 J/KG
✔✔PALS Calcium Dose & Indication - ✔✔Only for known/suspected hypocalcemia
20 mg/kg Calcium Chloride SLOW IV push
✔✔PALS Increased ICP Cushings Triad - ✔✔Caused by increased ICP and impending
herniation.
-Irregular Breathing
-Hypertension
-Tachycardia
In adults it's bradycardia
Hyperventilate the patient to prevent further increases in ICP
-hypertonic saline, Osmotic agents (dose?)
-Treat pain and agitation aggressively once airway is established.
-Avoid hyperthermia
✔✔PALS management of respiratory distress due to poisoning - ✔✔-Support airway
-give antidote
-call poison control
✔✔Ventilation Management - ✔✔a Tidal volume is 5-7mL/Kg aprox. 500ml for an adult
-
✔✔hemodynamic changes in Cardiogenic shock - ✔✔SBP (Down)
SVR (UP)
CVP (UP)
CO (Down)
PAP (UP)
Wedge (UP)
PVR (UP)
✔✔Coags (PT/INR/PTT) - ✔✔PT 11-14s
PTT (20-40 sec) heparin
INR (0.9-1.2) Coumadin
Platelets : 150-450k
✔✔Blood Gas - ✔✔pH: 7.35-7.45
PaCO2: 35-45
PaO2: 80-100
HCO3: 22-26
✔✔chemistry panels (renal, hepatic, comprehensive, metabolic) - ✔✔Na+ 135-145
,Cl- 95-105
K+ 3.5-4.5
Cr 0.6-1.2
Glucose 70-100
Magnesium 1.7-2.2
✔✔Magnesium - ✔✔1.7-2.2
✔✔K+ (potassium) - ✔✔3.5-5.0 mEq/L
✔✔Na+ - ✔✔135-145 mEq/L
✔✔Glucose - ✔✔70-110 mg/dL
✔✔Cr (Creatinine) - ✔✔0.6-1.3 mg/dL
✔✔Systemic Vascular Resistance (SVR) - ✔✔the force opposing the movement of
blood within the blood vessels
[(MAP-CVP) / CO] x80
Normal: 750-1600 dynes/sec
✔✔SVR Formula & Normal - ✔✔(MAP - CVP / ) x 80
Normal 750-1600 dynes/sec
✔✔hemodynamic changes in Hypovolemic hemorrhagic shock - ✔✔HR Increased
SBP Decreased
SVR Increased
CVP Decreased
✔✔Hemodynamics of septic shock - ✔✔-CO/CI; INCREASED
-RAP/PAP/PAOP; decreased
-SVR; decreased
-SVO2; INCREASED
✔✔Cl (Cloride) - ✔✔95-105
✔✔Acute Respiratory Failure blood gases - ✔✔
✔✔Calcium - ✔✔Ca2+ 8-10
✔✔Hemoglobin (male and female) - ✔✔Male: 14-18 g/dL
Female: 12-16 g/dL
✔✔Hemotocrit - ✔✔percentage of RBC in a volume of blood
, Males 45-52%
Females 37-48%
Trick: it's the HGb x 3
✔✔Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) - ✔✔3-15 with 15=good and 3=bad
Brain injury GCS:
Minor 13-15
Moderate 9-12 Asses ability to protect airway
Severe 3-8
✔✔volume control ACVC - ✔✔Set Tidal volume and rate, peep, FIO2. Guaranties a set
minute ventilation
✔✔assist control ventilation - ✔✔-Has a preset rate and preset tidal volume
-patient CAN breathe on own, uses own breaths
-when patient initiates own breath, vent will give preset tidal volume
-rate depends on patient's ABG's (CO2 level) the higher the CO2, the higher the rate
-*PEEP will be used with assist control*
-ranges from 5-15cm of H20
Good for sedated patients who can't initiate breaths or who have primary pulmonary
problem medical management
✔✔Spontaneous Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation SIMV - ✔✔-Has a preset rate
/minute ventilation
Allows patient to over breathe a set Spontaneous breaths are not supported, so tidal
volume varies based on what the patient can pull
✔✔Pressure Control Ventilation - ✔✔Set pressure -Machine is set to deliver a certain
pressure over a certain I-time. pressure remains constant
Tidal Volume changes as lungs change
✔✔Pressure Support Ventilation (PSV) - ✔✔-Used to lower the work of spontaneous
breathing and augment a patients spontaneous tidal volume
-PSV is often used with SIMV and CPAP, or as a stand alone mode to facilitate weaning
-Psv should increase spontaneous Vt, decrease respiratory rate and decrease WOB
-PSV decreases work of breathing that is superimposed by the artificial airway
✔✔Stroke Volume (SV) - ✔✔The volume of blood pumped forward with each ventricular
contraction.
EDV-ESV= SV
50-100 cc per beat basically
Males: 65-110
Females: 66-148
