American Red Cross-ACLS-Final Exam Questions with Accurate Answers

A patient is in cardiac arrest. The cardiac monitor shows asystole. In addition to providing continuous high-quality CPR, what is the other priority intervention for this patient? - ANSWER-Administering epinephrine as early as possible A patient has experienced return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after cardiac arrest. The healthcare team is conducting a secondary assessment to determine the possible cause of the patient's cardiac arrest. Before the arrest, the patient exhibited jugular venous distension, cyanosis, apnea and hyperresonance on percussion. The patient was also difficult to ventilate during the response. The team would most likely suspect which condition as the cause? - ANSWER-Tension Pneumothorax A patient with suspected stroke arrives at the emergency department. The patient is diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke and is a candidate for fibrinolytic therapy. To achieve the best outcomes, this therapy should be initiated within what time frame? - ANSWER-Within 1 hour of patient's arrival. A patient in the telemetry unit is receiving continuous cardiac monitoring. The patient has a history of myocardial infarction. The patient's ECG rhythm strip is shown in the following figure. The provider interprets this strip as indicating which arrhythmia? - ANSWER-Third-degree AV block A 28-year-old pregnant patient who resides in transitional housing presents to the emergency department with complaints of feeling feverish and very faint. The patient tells the emergency nurse that she does not know when she became pregnant. Upon palpation, the fundus is not at or above the umbilicus. The patient's condition quickly deteriorates and she goes into cardiac arrest. If available and able to be used without impeding or delaying the resuscitation effort, what diagnostic tool could be used to guide decision-making in the care of this patient? - ANSWER-Point-of-care ultrasound Cardiac monitoring indicates that a patient has a ventricular tachyarrhythmia. The patient has a pulse and is not showing any signs of hemodynamic compromise. A 12-lead ECG reveals an irregular rhythm with QRS complexes greater than 0.12 second in duration. Which action would be appropriate at this time? - ANSWER-Consider an antiarrhythmic medication A responsive patient is choking. What method should the provider use first to clear the obstructed airway? - ANSWER-Back blows What is the priority intervention for a patient with a narrow-complex tachycardia (160 bpm) and a blood pressure of 72/48 mmHg? - ANSWER-Perform immediate synchronized cardioversion