FCCS (Fundamentals of Critical Care Support) Exam Answers

What is the single most important indicator in critical illness? - tachypnea Beck's Triad - hypotension, JVD, muffled heart sounds - a/w cardiac tamponade What is the thyromental distance? - It is the distance in finger breadths between the anterior prominence of the thyroid cartilage (adam's apple) and the tip of the mandible (chin). It is an estimate of the length of the mandible and the available space anterior to the larynx What does it mean when the thyromental space is < 3 fingerbreadths? - - approx 6 cm - indicates the larynx might be more anterior and therefore difficult to visualize during laryngoscopy ** a more acute angulation of the stylet at the distal end of the endotracheal tube may be helpful. Patient is apneic w/ a pulse. What do you do? - Bag them. - One handed bag compressions should be delivered 10-20 times per min. Each compression should take place over 1 second. ** If patient starts spontaneously breathing, try to be synchronous with their respiratory efforts. ** If/once the patient is breathing easily and adequate Vt are being inhaled, enough to produce minute ventilation, stop bagging. What is the goal of manual mask ventilation? - to provide adequate minute ventilation: the product of the tidal volume delivered during each resuscitation bag compression and the number of compressions per min. ** The total gas volume within most adult resus bags is 1 to 1.5 LITERS Bag mask should be connected to ________% oxygen and flow at a rate of _______ - 100% oxygen at a rate of 15L/min HFNC - - Uses up to 100% oxygen source - Provides higher amounts of FIO2 (0.32-1.0) in patients with high minute ventilation requirements by matching patient's inspiratory demands and minimizing air dilution - These devices also can generate PEEP (that is difficult to measure; can cause barotrauma in theory) - Flow rates up to 60L/min