ACLS Therapeutics I Exam 4 Advanced Cardiac Life Support Questions With Correct Answers

Medical emergency - Answer Any situation in which an individual's life is acutely threatened due to illness or medical complication as evidenced by alteration(s) of vital signs requiring immediate attention Cardiopulmonary arrest - Answer Loss of organ perfusion resulting from loss of *functional* myocardial contraction -i.e. pulseless No pulse = - Answer no perfusion What is the pulse generated by? - Answer Blood flow -NOT electrical potential Can we have electrical activity with no muscle contraction? - Answer Yes -leads to no pulse What does a cardiopulmonary arrest require? - Answer Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) How does age relate to sudden cardiac death (SCD)? - Answer Proportional *TYPES OF ARREST* - Answer What are the 4 types of arrest? - Answer Pulseless ventricular tachycardia (pVT) Ventricular fibrillation (VFib) Pulseless electrical activity (PEA) Aystole Which types of arrest are shockable? - Answer pVT VFib Which types of arrest are not shockable? - Answer PEA Asystole Which types of arrest have a big QRS that covers up the P wave? - Answer pVT VFib pVT - Answer Rapid ventricular contraction insufficient to allow adequate ventricular filling and meaningful cardiac output -Ventricles beat faster than atria -Not getting blood thru VFib - Answer Rapid, uncoordinated, fluttering contractions of the ventricles leading to cessation of isolated ventricular contraction and blood flow -Blood stands still PEA - Answer Electrophysiologic state demonstrating impulse on ECG w/o resultant ventricular contraction Aystole - Answer A condition of weakening or cessation of ventricular contraction -flat-line VFib ECG: - Answer Irregular pVT ECG: - Answer Organized PEA ECG: - Answer Asystole ECG: - Answer What is the most common type of arrest? - Answer Asystole What is the most common cause of an arrest? - Answer Arrhythmia *OUTCOME* - Answer What is the overall CPR survival rate? - Answer 25% If a pt does survive, what functionality can they lose? - Answer Neurological What are the predictors of outcome? - Answer > 3-6 minutes until initiation of CPR Cardiac vs. pulmonary cause Mult. preexisting comorbid illnesses Non-witnessed arrest Non-telemetry ward "Third shift" arrest Total duration of arrest Asystolic or PEA arrest -i.e. non-defibrillating rhythm Malignancy *C-A-B-D* - Answer What does CABD stand for? - Answer *C*irculation absent (no pulse) *A*irway establishment *B*reathing artifically in non-breathing victim *D*efibrillate immediately if pVT or VFib *C* - Answer What do we do in C? - Answer Initiate chest compressions to restore blood flow to heart and brain Where are the compressions done? - Answer B/t sternum and spinal column What does the downward force allow? - Answer To eject blood from ventricle (systole) What do we do to allow for diastole? - Answer Full recoil -To allow for adequate ventricular fill