ACLS Final Exam Questions and Answers
1. Dosing of epinephrine in the setting of VF/pVT and asystole/PEA: 1
mg every 3-5 minutes
2. Dosing of amiodarone (first and second dose) in the setting of
cardiac arrest-
: 300mg first dose
150mg second dose after 3-5 min
3. Dosing of lidocaine (first and second dose) in the setting of cardiac
arrest: -
1-1.5mg/kg first dose
0.5-0.75 mg/kg second dose, repeat in 5-10 min
4. What is the maximum dose of lidocaine?: 3 doses or 3mg/kg
5. ROSC is typically signified by a PETCO2 of what?: 40 mm Hg or more
6. The "Hs" of reversible causes of cardiac arrest: 1. Hypovolemia
2. Hypoxia
3. Hydrogen ions (acidosis)
,4. Hypo/hyperkalemia
5. Hypothermia
7. The "Ts" of reversible causes of cardiac arrest: 1. Tension pneumothorax
2. Tamponade, cardiac
3. Toxins
4. Thrombosis, pulmonary
5. Thrombosis, coronary
8. In the setting of cardiac arrest, once an
advanced airway is in place, 1 breath should be given every
seconds. Should chest compressions be interrupt- ed once an advanced
airway is in place?: 6-8 seconds (8-10 breaths/min) with continuous chest
compressions
9. If PETCO2 falls below , attempts
should be made to improve chest compressions: 10
10. If intra-arterial pressure
monitoring is being utilized during a resuscitation attempt, if the
diastolic pressure falls below mm Hg, attempts should
be made to improve chest compressions: 20
11. depth of adequate chest compressions: 2 inches
,12. rate of adequate chest compressions: 100-120/min
13. If no advanced airway is in place, what is the ratio of chest
compressions to ventilations?: 30:2
14. Shock energy that should be used on a biphasic machine for
defibrillation: -
120-200 J, if recommended setting not known, use maximum available
15. Shock energy that should be used on a monophasic machine
for defibrilla- tion: 360J
16. In the setting of cardiac arrest, when should vasopressors be
administered?-
: after the patient has failed CPR and defibrillation (shock-refractory arrhythmias)
17. The only vasopressor recommended in the cardiac arrest
algorithm: epinephrine
18. Why is vasopressin no longer recommended in the cardiac
arrest algorithm as a vasopressor?: no additional benefit and may increase delays in
medication administration
, 19. Are higher doses of epinephrine recommended in certain
situations of car- diac arrest? If so, what situations are higher doses of
epinephrine recommend- ed?: no; no benefit to support use, possible harm
20. When is endotracheal medication administration
recommended?: not recom- mended unless unable to give meds IV or IO
21. Which medications can be administered via endotracheal
tube?: lidocaine, epi- nephrine, atropine, naloxone
22. What is different about the dosing of medications if
endotracheal medication administration is performed?: Typically ETT dose 2-2.5
higher than IV due to lower absorption and dilution in 5-10mL of fluid is recommended
23. When can antiarrhythmics be considered in the setting of
cardiac arrest?: use may be considered in patients with VF/VT who have failed high-quality
CPR, shocks, and vasopressors
24. Why must antiarrhythmics never interfere with CPR and
shocks?: never been shown to increase survival to discharge
25. Antiarrhythmics that could be considered in the setting of VF/VT:
amiodarone and lidocaine
26. The traditional formulation of amiodarone contains what
component that may cause bradycardia and hypotension: polysorbate
80
27. Premixed bags of amiodarone contain what component
1. Dosing of epinephrine in the setting of VF/pVT and asystole/PEA: 1
mg every 3-5 minutes
2. Dosing of amiodarone (first and second dose) in the setting of
cardiac arrest-
: 300mg first dose
150mg second dose after 3-5 min
3. Dosing of lidocaine (first and second dose) in the setting of cardiac
arrest: -
1-1.5mg/kg first dose
0.5-0.75 mg/kg second dose, repeat in 5-10 min
4. What is the maximum dose of lidocaine?: 3 doses or 3mg/kg
5. ROSC is typically signified by a PETCO2 of what?: 40 mm Hg or more
6. The "Hs" of reversible causes of cardiac arrest: 1. Hypovolemia
2. Hypoxia
3. Hydrogen ions (acidosis)
,4. Hypo/hyperkalemia
5. Hypothermia
7. The "Ts" of reversible causes of cardiac arrest: 1. Tension pneumothorax
2. Tamponade, cardiac
3. Toxins
4. Thrombosis, pulmonary
5. Thrombosis, coronary
8. In the setting of cardiac arrest, once an
advanced airway is in place, 1 breath should be given every
seconds. Should chest compressions be interrupt- ed once an advanced
airway is in place?: 6-8 seconds (8-10 breaths/min) with continuous chest
compressions
9. If PETCO2 falls below , attempts
should be made to improve chest compressions: 10
10. If intra-arterial pressure
monitoring is being utilized during a resuscitation attempt, if the
diastolic pressure falls below mm Hg, attempts should
be made to improve chest compressions: 20
11. depth of adequate chest compressions: 2 inches
,12. rate of adequate chest compressions: 100-120/min
13. If no advanced airway is in place, what is the ratio of chest
compressions to ventilations?: 30:2
14. Shock energy that should be used on a biphasic machine for
defibrillation: -
120-200 J, if recommended setting not known, use maximum available
15. Shock energy that should be used on a monophasic machine
for defibrilla- tion: 360J
16. In the setting of cardiac arrest, when should vasopressors be
administered?-
: after the patient has failed CPR and defibrillation (shock-refractory arrhythmias)
17. The only vasopressor recommended in the cardiac arrest
algorithm: epinephrine
18. Why is vasopressin no longer recommended in the cardiac
arrest algorithm as a vasopressor?: no additional benefit and may increase delays in
medication administration
, 19. Are higher doses of epinephrine recommended in certain
situations of car- diac arrest? If so, what situations are higher doses of
epinephrine recommend- ed?: no; no benefit to support use, possible harm
20. When is endotracheal medication administration
recommended?: not recom- mended unless unable to give meds IV or IO
21. Which medications can be administered via endotracheal
tube?: lidocaine, epi- nephrine, atropine, naloxone
22. What is different about the dosing of medications if
endotracheal medication administration is performed?: Typically ETT dose 2-2.5
higher than IV due to lower absorption and dilution in 5-10mL of fluid is recommended
23. When can antiarrhythmics be considered in the setting of
cardiac arrest?: use may be considered in patients with VF/VT who have failed high-quality
CPR, shocks, and vasopressors
24. Why must antiarrhythmics never interfere with CPR and
shocks?: never been shown to increase survival to discharge
25. Antiarrhythmics that could be considered in the setting of VF/VT:
amiodarone and lidocaine
26. The traditional formulation of amiodarone contains what
component that may cause bradycardia and hypotension: polysorbate
80
27. Premixed bags of amiodarone contain what component
