American Red Cross-ACLS-Final Exam
ADVANCED CARDIAC LIFE SUPPORT (ACLS)
1. 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?
● a. 1 minute
● b. 2 minutes
● c. 5 minutes
● d. 10 minutes
Answer: b. 2 minutes
2. 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?
● a. CT scan
● b. Point-of-care ultrasound
● c. MRI
● d. X-ray
Answer: b. Point-of-care ultrasound
3. A 30-year-old patient has been brought to the emergency department in
cardiac arrest. The cardiac monitor shows a specific rhythm. Interpretation of
this rhythm would suggest which of the following as a possible precipitating
factor?
● a. Myocardial infarction
● b. Electrocution
● c. Drug overdose
, ● d. Hypothermia
Answer: b. Electrocution
4. A 35-year-old female patient's ECG is consistent with STEMI. The ECG
reveals a new ST-segment elevation at the J point in leads V2 and V3 of at least
which size?
● a. 0.05 mV
● b. 0.10 mV
● c. 0.15 mV
● d. 0.20 mV
Answer: c. 0.15 mV
5. A 42-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with
complaints of fatigue, shortness of breath, back pain and nausea. A 12-lead
ECG is obtained and shows ST-segment depression in leads II, III, and aVF and
intermittent runs of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. Cardiac serum
markers are elevated. These findings suggest which condition?
● a. Stable angina
● b. High-risk non-ST-segment elevation ACS (NSTE-ACS)
● c. STEMI
● d. Pericarditis
Answer: b. High-risk non-ST-segment elevation ACS (NSTE-ACS)
6. A member of the resuscitation team is preparing to administer medications
intravenously to a patient in cardiac arrest. The team member should follow
each peripherally administered drug dose with a normal saline flush. How
much would the team member give?
● a. 5 mL
● b. 10 to 20 mL
● c. 20 to 30 mL
● d. 50 mL
Answer: b. 10 to 20 mL
, 7. A member of the resuscitation team is preparing to defibrillate a patient in
cardiac arrest using a biphasic defibrillator. The team member would set the
energy dose according to the manufacturer's recommendations, which is
usually:
● a. 100 joules
● b. 120 to 200 joules
● c. 200 to 300 joules
● d. 360 joules
Answer: b. 120 to 200 joules
8. 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?
● a. Administer high-flow oxygen
● b. Assisted ventilation with BVM resuscitator
● c. Intubation
● d. Nebulized bronchodilators
Answer: b. Assisted ventilation with BVM resuscitator
9. A patient comes to the emergency department complaining of palpitations
and "some shortness of breath." Cardiac monitoring is initiated and reveals a
specific ECG rhythm strip. The provider interprets this strip as indicating
which arrhythmia?
● a. Atrial fibrillation
● b. Atrial flutter
● c. Supraventricular tachycardia
● d. Ventricular tachycardia
Answer: b. Atrial flutter
10. A patient enters the emergency department in respiratory compromise. The
team is monitoring the patient using capnography and identifies that ETCO2
levels are initially 33 mmHg and later 40 mmHg. From these readings, the team
identifies that the patient is progressing in what stage of respiratory
compromise?
ADVANCED CARDIAC LIFE SUPPORT (ACLS)
1. 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?
● a. 1 minute
● b. 2 minutes
● c. 5 minutes
● d. 10 minutes
Answer: b. 2 minutes
2. 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?
● a. CT scan
● b. Point-of-care ultrasound
● c. MRI
● d. X-ray
Answer: b. Point-of-care ultrasound
3. A 30-year-old patient has been brought to the emergency department in
cardiac arrest. The cardiac monitor shows a specific rhythm. Interpretation of
this rhythm would suggest which of the following as a possible precipitating
factor?
● a. Myocardial infarction
● b. Electrocution
● c. Drug overdose
, ● d. Hypothermia
Answer: b. Electrocution
4. A 35-year-old female patient's ECG is consistent with STEMI. The ECG
reveals a new ST-segment elevation at the J point in leads V2 and V3 of at least
which size?
● a. 0.05 mV
● b. 0.10 mV
● c. 0.15 mV
● d. 0.20 mV
Answer: c. 0.15 mV
5. A 42-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with
complaints of fatigue, shortness of breath, back pain and nausea. A 12-lead
ECG is obtained and shows ST-segment depression in leads II, III, and aVF and
intermittent runs of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. Cardiac serum
markers are elevated. These findings suggest which condition?
● a. Stable angina
● b. High-risk non-ST-segment elevation ACS (NSTE-ACS)
● c. STEMI
● d. Pericarditis
Answer: b. High-risk non-ST-segment elevation ACS (NSTE-ACS)
6. A member of the resuscitation team is preparing to administer medications
intravenously to a patient in cardiac arrest. The team member should follow
each peripherally administered drug dose with a normal saline flush. How
much would the team member give?
● a. 5 mL
● b. 10 to 20 mL
● c. 20 to 30 mL
● d. 50 mL
Answer: b. 10 to 20 mL
, 7. A member of the resuscitation team is preparing to defibrillate a patient in
cardiac arrest using a biphasic defibrillator. The team member would set the
energy dose according to the manufacturer's recommendations, which is
usually:
● a. 100 joules
● b. 120 to 200 joules
● c. 200 to 300 joules
● d. 360 joules
Answer: b. 120 to 200 joules
8. 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?
● a. Administer high-flow oxygen
● b. Assisted ventilation with BVM resuscitator
● c. Intubation
● d. Nebulized bronchodilators
Answer: b. Assisted ventilation with BVM resuscitator
9. A patient comes to the emergency department complaining of palpitations
and "some shortness of breath." Cardiac monitoring is initiated and reveals a
specific ECG rhythm strip. The provider interprets this strip as indicating
which arrhythmia?
● a. Atrial fibrillation
● b. Atrial flutter
● c. Supraventricular tachycardia
● d. Ventricular tachycardia
Answer: b. Atrial flutter
10. A patient enters the emergency department in respiratory compromise. The
team is monitoring the patient using capnography and identifies that ETCO2
levels are initially 33 mmHg and later 40 mmHg. From these readings, the team
identifies that the patient is progressing in what stage of respiratory
compromise?
