ALS/ACLS - Red Cross Final Exam
The resuscitation team suspects that hyperkalemia is the cause of cardiac
arrest in a patient brought to the emergency department. Which finding on a
12-lead ECG would confirm this suspicion? - ANS Wide-complex ventricular
rhythm or tall, pointed T waves
A patient with dyspnea and a change in mental status arrives at the emergency
department. The healthcare team completes the necessary assessments and
begins to care for the patient, including initiating cardiac monitoring, pulse
oximetry, supplemental oxygen and vascular access. The team reviews the
patient's ECG rhythm strip, as shown in the following figure. Which agent
would the team most likely administer? - ANS Atropine 0.5 mg every 4 to 5
minutes
A patient experiencing an unstable bradyarrhythmia does not respond to
atropine or transcutaneous pacing. Which intervention would the healthcare
provider use next? - ANS Administration of an epinephrine infusion
A patient's ECG reveals a tachyarrhythmia. The patient is hemodynamically
stable and has a heart rate ranging from 120 to 135 beats per minute. Based on
the findings of the secondary assessment, which statement(s) by the patient
would the team interpret as a possible contributing cause? - ANS 1. "I've had
a terrible cold with a horrible cough and fever the past week."
2. "I've been so anxious lately because I just lost my job."
, 3. "I've been vomiting for the past 2 days from a gastrointestinal bug."
A patient's ECG reveals a narrow QRS complex with a regular rhythm,
indicating a narrow-complex supraventricular tachyarrhythmia. The patient is
hemodynamically stable. Which intervention would be initiated first? - ANS
Vagal maneuvers
A patient in the telemetry unit is stable. Cardiac monitoring indicates the
patient has ventricular tachycardia with a pulse. Further assessment reveals
that the corrected QT interval is greater than 0.46 seconds. Which treatment
would be appropriate at this time? - ANS Synchronized cardioversion
An ECG strip of a patient in the emergency department reveals the following
rhythm. Which feature would the healthcare provider interpret as indicating
atrial fibrillation? - ANS Absence of discrete P waves and presence of
irregularly irregular QRS complexes
A patient is brought into the emergency department. The patient does not have
a pulse. The cardiac monitor shows the following rhythm. The team interprets
this as which condition? - ANS Ventricular tachycardia
A patient with acute renal failure experiences cardiac arrest. Just before the
cardiac arrest, the patient's ECG showed peaked T waves. What might be
causing the patient's cardiac arrest? - ANS Hyperkalemia
The resuscitation team suspects that hyperkalemia is the cause of cardiac
arrest in a patient brought to the emergency department. Which finding on a
12-lead ECG would confirm this suspicion? - ANS Wide-complex ventricular
rhythm or tall, pointed T waves
A patient with dyspnea and a change in mental status arrives at the emergency
department. The healthcare team completes the necessary assessments and
begins to care for the patient, including initiating cardiac monitoring, pulse
oximetry, supplemental oxygen and vascular access. The team reviews the
patient's ECG rhythm strip, as shown in the following figure. Which agent
would the team most likely administer? - ANS Atropine 0.5 mg every 4 to 5
minutes
A patient experiencing an unstable bradyarrhythmia does not respond to
atropine or transcutaneous pacing. Which intervention would the healthcare
provider use next? - ANS Administration of an epinephrine infusion
A patient's ECG reveals a tachyarrhythmia. The patient is hemodynamically
stable and has a heart rate ranging from 120 to 135 beats per minute. Based on
the findings of the secondary assessment, which statement(s) by the patient
would the team interpret as a possible contributing cause? - ANS 1. "I've had
a terrible cold with a horrible cough and fever the past week."
2. "I've been so anxious lately because I just lost my job."
, 3. "I've been vomiting for the past 2 days from a gastrointestinal bug."
A patient's ECG reveals a narrow QRS complex with a regular rhythm,
indicating a narrow-complex supraventricular tachyarrhythmia. The patient is
hemodynamically stable. Which intervention would be initiated first? - ANS
Vagal maneuvers
A patient in the telemetry unit is stable. Cardiac monitoring indicates the
patient has ventricular tachycardia with a pulse. Further assessment reveals
that the corrected QT interval is greater than 0.46 seconds. Which treatment
would be appropriate at this time? - ANS Synchronized cardioversion
An ECG strip of a patient in the emergency department reveals the following
rhythm. Which feature would the healthcare provider interpret as indicating
atrial fibrillation? - ANS Absence of discrete P waves and presence of
irregularly irregular QRS complexes
A patient is brought into the emergency department. The patient does not have
a pulse. The cardiac monitor shows the following rhythm. The team interprets
this as which condition? - ANS Ventricular tachycardia
A patient with acute renal failure experiences cardiac arrest. Just before the
cardiac arrest, the patient's ECG showed peaked T waves. What might be
causing the patient's cardiac arrest? - ANS Hyperkalemia
