AHA ACLS Final Exam (Latest 2026/2027 Update) Questions with Verified Answers & Detailed Rationale | 100% Correct | Graded A+

AHA ACLS Final Exam (Latest 2026/2027
Update) Questions with Verified Answers &
Detailed Rationale | 100% Correct | Graded A+
Question:
A patient experiences cardiac arrest, and the resuscitation team initiates
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ventilations using a bag-valve-mask (BVM) resuscitator. The development
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of which condition during the provision of care would lead the team to
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suspect that improper BVM technique is being used?
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Hypertension
Esophageal injury i,-




Pneumothorax

Rib fracture?
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Answer:
Pneumothorax



Complications can occur with the use of a BVM resuscitator due to
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improper technique. Delivering excessive volume or ventilating too fast
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creates excessive pressure that can damage the airways, lungs and other
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organs. Excessive volume can lead to tension pneumothorax.
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Question:

,A patient enters the emergency department in respiratory compromise.
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The team is monitoring the patient using capnography and identifies that
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ETCO2 levels are initially 33 mmHg and later 40 mmHg. From these
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readings, the team identifies that the patient is progressing in what stage
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of respiratory compromise?
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Respiratory arrest i,-




Respiratory failure i,-




Respiratory distress i,-




Respiratory acidosis? i,-




Answer:
Respiratory distress i,-




Capnography can objectively assess the severity of a patient's respiratory
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distress. Early on, the patient will often hyperventilate, leading to
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hypocapnia that is reflected by a low ETCO2 value (less than 35 mmHg).
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As respiratory distress increases, and the patient begins to tire, the ETCO2
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value may return to the normal range (35 to 45 mmHg). However, if the
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patient progresses to respiratory failure, the ETCO2 level will increase to
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greater than 45 mmHg, which indicates hypoventilation.
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Question:

A patient is in cardiac arrest. The underlying cause is thought to be opioid
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toxicity. Which statement accurately describes the use of naloxone for this
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patient?

,Naloxone should be administered immediately as the first action in
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resuscitation at a dose of 0.4 to 2 mg and then repeated every 2 to 3 min
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as needed.
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Naloxone has not been shown to be effective for opioid toxicity once
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cardiac arrest has occurred. i,- i,- i,-




Naloxone administered via continuous IV infusion should be considered
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for short-acting opioid toxicity.
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Naloxone should be administered as soon as possible but is not a priority
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over high-quality CPR and AED use.?
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Answer:

Naloxone should be administered as soon as possible but is not a priority
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over high-quality CPR and AED use.
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High-quality CPR and AED use are the priority interventions for cardiac
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arrest caused by suspected or known opioid toxicity. When opioid toxicity
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is the suspected or known cause of cardiac arrest, naloxone should be
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administered as soon as possible without disrupting or delaying high-
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quality CPR and AED use. The recommended dose of naloxone is 0.4 to 2
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mg IV/IO/IM/IN/SC, repeated every 2 to 3 minutes as needed. A
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continuous naloxone infusion may be considered if there is the potential
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for recurrence of respiratory depression (for example, if the cause of the
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opioid toxicity was an extended-release or long-acting opioid) but is not
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, indicated in the immediate treatment of suspected or known opioid
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toxicity




Question:
A patient in the telemetry unit is receiving continuous cardiac monitoring.
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The patient has a history of myocardial infarction. The patient's ECG
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rhythm strip is shown in the following figure. The provider interprets this
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strip as indicating which arrhythmia?
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Sinus tachycardia i,-




Third-degree AV block i,- i,-




First-degree atrioventricular (AV) block i,- i,- i,-




Second-degree AV block? i,- i,-




Answer:
Third-degree AV block i,- i,-




In third-degree AV block, no electrical communication occurs between the
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atria and ventricles, thus no relationship between P waves and QRS
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complexes exists. The RR interval is constant. The PP interval is constant or
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slightly irregular, as with sinus arrhythmia. If pacemaker cells in the AV
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junction simulate ventricular contraction, the QRS complexes will be
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narrow (less than 120 milliseconds in duration). Impulses that originate in
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the ventricles produce wide QRS complexes. This arrhythmia may result
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from damage caused by myocardial infarction.
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