ACLS FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 100% ACCURATE.
A patient experiences cardiac arrest, and the resuscitation team initiates ventilations using a bag-
valve-mask (BVM) resuscitator. The development of which condition during the provision of
care would lead the team to suspect that improper BVM technique is being used?
Hypertension
Esophageal injury
Pneumothorax
Rib fracture - Pneumothorax
Complications can occur with the use of a BVM resuscitator due to improper technique.
Delivering excessive volume or ventilating too fast creates excessive pressure that can damage
the airways, lungs and other organs. Excessive volume can lead to tension pneumothorax.
A person suddenly collapses while sitting in the sunroom of a healthcare facility. A healthcare
provider observes the event and hurries over to assess the situation. The healthcare provider
performs which assessment first?
Rapid assessment
Basic life support assessment
Secondary assessment
Primary assessment - Rapid assessment
A systematic approach to assessment is necessary. The healthcare provider should first perform a
rapid assessment. A rapid assessment is a visual survey to ensure safety, form an initial
impression about the patient's condition (including looking for life-threatening bleeding), and
determine the need for additional resources. This would be followed by a primary assessment
and then a secondary assessment.
A patient is receiving ventilation support via bag-valve-mask (BVM) resuscitator. Capnography
is established and a blood gas is obtained to evaluate the adequacy of the ventilations. Which
arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2) value signifies adequate ventilations?
10 to 15 mmHg
20 to 25 mmHg
25 to 30 mmHg
35 to 45 mmHg - 35 to 45 mmHg
Arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2) values in the range of 35 to 45 mmHg confirm adequacy of
ventilation.
A resuscitation team is debriefing following a recent event. A patient experienced cardiac arrest,
and advanced life support was initiated. The patient required the placement of an advanced
airway to maintain airway patency. Which statement indicates that the team performed high-
quality CPR?
,"We initiated chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 110 per minute to a depth of 2.4 inches and
then gave 1 ventilation every 10 seconds."
"We provided chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute while giving 1
ventilation every 6 seconds without pausing compressions."
"We provided chest compressions at a rate of 80 to 120 per minute to a depth of at least 2 inches
and gave 1 ventilation every 6 seconds without pausing compressions."
"We kept the rate of chest compressions to around 100 per minute but adjusted their depth to 1.5
inches while giving 1 ventilation every 3 seconds without pausing compression - "We provided
chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute while giving 1 ventilation
every 6 seconds without pausing compressions."
When an advanced airway has been placed in a patient who is in cardiac arrest, compressions
should be delivered continuously (100 to 120 per minute) with no pauses for ventilations.
Assessment of a patient reveals an ETCO2 level of 55 mmHg and an arterial oxygen saturation
(SaO2) level of 88%. The provider would interpret these findings as indicative of which
condition?
Respiratory failure
Respiratory arrest
Cardiac arrest
Respiratory distress - Respiratory failure
An SaO2 level of less than 90% (PaO2 of less than 50 mmHg) accompanied by ETCO2 values
greater than 50 mmHg is indicative of respiratory failure.
A responsive patient is choking. What method should the provider use first to clear the
obstructed airway?
Back blows
Abdominal thrusts
Magill forceps extraction
Chest compressions - Back blows
To clear an obstructed airway in a responsive adult, first provide up to 5 back blows to clear the
obstruction.
A patient arrives at the emergency department complaining of shortness of breath. The patient
has a long history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Assessment reveals respiratory
failure. Which action would be the initial priority to address the respiratory failure?
Establishment of vascular access
Delivery of supplemental oxygen via nasal cannula
Assisted ventilation with BVM resuscitator
Initiation of capnography - Assisted ventilation with BVM resuscitator
, Patients who cannot ventilate adequately despite an open airway or who have insufficient
respiratory effort require assisted ventilation initially provided via a BVM resuscitator.
A 20-year-old man with respiratory depression is brought to the emergency department by his
parents. Opioid overdose is suspected, and an initial dose of naloxone is administered at 10 p.m.
The patient does not respond to this initial dose. The team would expect to administer a second
dose after how many minutes?
2 minutes
4 minutes
6 minutes
8 minutes - 2 minutes
The dose of naloxone may be repeated after 2 to 3 minutes.
Assessment of a patient in the emergency department reveals that the patient is experiencing
respiratory compromise. From the assessment, the team identifies that the patient is in the earliest
stage of this condition. Which stage would this be?
Respiratory distress
Respiratory failure
Respiratory arrest
Respiratory acidosis - Respiratory distress
Respiratory compromise occurs along a continuum, beginning with respiratory distress,
progressing to respiratory failure and then to respiratory arrest.
The following capnogram is from a patient experiencing respiratory distress. At which point in
the waveform would the patient's ETCO2 level be measured?
B
C
D
E-D
The ETCO2 value is measured at the end of exhalation (point D), which represents the peak
level.
A patient is experiencing respiratory distress secondary to an exacerbation of chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease. The patient begins to exhibit signs and symptoms of worsening respiratory
function and experiences respiratory arrest. The team intervenes, delivering ventilations via
BVM resuscitator. The team should provide ventilations at a rate of 1 ventilation:
Every 3 seconds
Every 6 seconds
A patient experiences cardiac arrest, and the resuscitation team initiates ventilations using a bag-
valve-mask (BVM) resuscitator. The development of which condition during the provision of
care would lead the team to suspect that improper BVM technique is being used?
Hypertension
Esophageal injury
Pneumothorax
Rib fracture - Pneumothorax
Complications can occur with the use of a BVM resuscitator due to improper technique.
Delivering excessive volume or ventilating too fast creates excessive pressure that can damage
the airways, lungs and other organs. Excessive volume can lead to tension pneumothorax.
A person suddenly collapses while sitting in the sunroom of a healthcare facility. A healthcare
provider observes the event and hurries over to assess the situation. The healthcare provider
performs which assessment first?
Rapid assessment
Basic life support assessment
Secondary assessment
Primary assessment - Rapid assessment
A systematic approach to assessment is necessary. The healthcare provider should first perform a
rapid assessment. A rapid assessment is a visual survey to ensure safety, form an initial
impression about the patient's condition (including looking for life-threatening bleeding), and
determine the need for additional resources. This would be followed by a primary assessment
and then a secondary assessment.
A patient is receiving ventilation support via bag-valve-mask (BVM) resuscitator. Capnography
is established and a blood gas is obtained to evaluate the adequacy of the ventilations. Which
arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2) value signifies adequate ventilations?
10 to 15 mmHg
20 to 25 mmHg
25 to 30 mmHg
35 to 45 mmHg - 35 to 45 mmHg
Arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2) values in the range of 35 to 45 mmHg confirm adequacy of
ventilation.
A resuscitation team is debriefing following a recent event. A patient experienced cardiac arrest,
and advanced life support was initiated. The patient required the placement of an advanced
airway to maintain airway patency. Which statement indicates that the team performed high-
quality CPR?
,"We initiated chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 110 per minute to a depth of 2.4 inches and
then gave 1 ventilation every 10 seconds."
"We provided chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute while giving 1
ventilation every 6 seconds without pausing compressions."
"We provided chest compressions at a rate of 80 to 120 per minute to a depth of at least 2 inches
and gave 1 ventilation every 6 seconds without pausing compressions."
"We kept the rate of chest compressions to around 100 per minute but adjusted their depth to 1.5
inches while giving 1 ventilation every 3 seconds without pausing compression - "We provided
chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute while giving 1 ventilation
every 6 seconds without pausing compressions."
When an advanced airway has been placed in a patient who is in cardiac arrest, compressions
should be delivered continuously (100 to 120 per minute) with no pauses for ventilations.
Assessment of a patient reveals an ETCO2 level of 55 mmHg and an arterial oxygen saturation
(SaO2) level of 88%. The provider would interpret these findings as indicative of which
condition?
Respiratory failure
Respiratory arrest
Cardiac arrest
Respiratory distress - Respiratory failure
An SaO2 level of less than 90% (PaO2 of less than 50 mmHg) accompanied by ETCO2 values
greater than 50 mmHg is indicative of respiratory failure.
A responsive patient is choking. What method should the provider use first to clear the
obstructed airway?
Back blows
Abdominal thrusts
Magill forceps extraction
Chest compressions - Back blows
To clear an obstructed airway in a responsive adult, first provide up to 5 back blows to clear the
obstruction.
A patient arrives at the emergency department complaining of shortness of breath. The patient
has a long history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Assessment reveals respiratory
failure. Which action would be the initial priority to address the respiratory failure?
Establishment of vascular access
Delivery of supplemental oxygen via nasal cannula
Assisted ventilation with BVM resuscitator
Initiation of capnography - Assisted ventilation with BVM resuscitator
, Patients who cannot ventilate adequately despite an open airway or who have insufficient
respiratory effort require assisted ventilation initially provided via a BVM resuscitator.
A 20-year-old man with respiratory depression is brought to the emergency department by his
parents. Opioid overdose is suspected, and an initial dose of naloxone is administered at 10 p.m.
The patient does not respond to this initial dose. The team would expect to administer a second
dose after how many minutes?
2 minutes
4 minutes
6 minutes
8 minutes - 2 minutes
The dose of naloxone may be repeated after 2 to 3 minutes.
Assessment of a patient in the emergency department reveals that the patient is experiencing
respiratory compromise. From the assessment, the team identifies that the patient is in the earliest
stage of this condition. Which stage would this be?
Respiratory distress
Respiratory failure
Respiratory arrest
Respiratory acidosis - Respiratory distress
Respiratory compromise occurs along a continuum, beginning with respiratory distress,
progressing to respiratory failure and then to respiratory arrest.
The following capnogram is from a patient experiencing respiratory distress. At which point in
the waveform would the patient's ETCO2 level be measured?
B
C
D
E-D
The ETCO2 value is measured at the end of exhalation (point D), which represents the peak
level.
A patient is experiencing respiratory distress secondary to an exacerbation of chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease. The patient begins to exhibit signs and symptoms of worsening respiratory
function and experiences respiratory arrest. The team intervenes, delivering ventilations via
BVM resuscitator. The team should provide ventilations at a rate of 1 ventilation:
Every 3 seconds
Every 6 seconds
