ALS/ACLS - Red Cross Final Exam [2023] The resuscitation team suspects that hyperkalemia is the cause of cardiac arrest in a patient brought to the emergency department. Which finding on a 12-lead ECG would confirm this suspicion? - Correct Answer Wide-complex ventricular rhythm or tall, pointed T waves A patient with dyspnea and a change in mental status arrives at the emergency department. The healthcare team completes the necessary assessments and begins to care for the patient, including initiating cardiac monitoring, pulse oximetry, supplemental oxygen and vascular access. The team reviews the patient's ECG rhythm strip, as shown in the following figure. Which agent would the team most likely administer? - Correct Answer Atropine 0.5 mg every 4 to 5 minutes A patient experiencing an unstable bradyarrhythmia does not respond to atropine or transcutaneous pacing. Which intervention would the healthcare provider use next? - Correct Answer Administration of an epinephrine infusion A patient's ECG reveals a tachyarrhythmia. The patient is hemodynamically stable and has a heart rate ranging from 120 to 135 beats per minute. Based on the findings of the secondary assessment, which statement(s) by the patient would the team interpret as a possible contributing cause? - Correct Answer
- "I've had a terrible cold with a horrible cough and fever the past week."
- "I've been so anxious lately because I just lost my job."
- "I've been vomiting for the past 2 days from a gastrointestinal bug."
A patient's ECG reveals a narrow QRS complex with a regular rhythm, indicating a narrow-complex supraventricular tachyarrhythmia. The patient is hemodynamically stable. Which intervention would be initiated first? - Correct Answer Vagal maneuvers A patient in the telemetry unit is stable. Cardiac monitoring indicates the patient has ventricular tachycardia with a pulse. Further assessment reveals that the corrected QT interval is greater than 0.46 seconds. Which treatment would be appropriate at this time? - Correct Answer Synchronized cardioversion An ECG strip of a patient in the emergency department reveals the following rhythm. Which feature would the healthcare provider interpret as indicating atrial fibrillation? - Correct Answer Absence of discrete P waves and presence of irregularly irregular QRS complexes 1 / 2
A patient is brought into the emergency department. The patient does not have a pulse. The cardiac monitor shows the following rhythm. The team interprets this as which condition? - Correct Answer Ventricular tachycardia A patient with acute renal failure experiences cardiac arrest. Just before the cardiac arrest, the patient's ECG showed peaked T waves. What might be causing the patient's cardiac arrest? - Correct Answer Hyperkalemia 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: - Correct Answer 120 to 200 joules
A member of the resuscitation team is preparing to administer medications intravenously to a patient in cardiac arrest. The team member follows each medication administration with a bolus of fluid. How much would the team member give? - Correct Answer 10 to 20 mL A 30-year-old patient has been brought to the emergency department in full cardiac arrest. The cardiac monitor shows the following rhythm. Interpretation of this rhythm would suggest which of the following as a possible precipitating factor? - Correct Answer Electrocution Cardiac monitoring of a patient in cardiac arrest reveals ventricular fibrillation. What intervention would the team perform next? - Correct Answer Administer 1 shock.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? - Correct Answer Tension pneumothorax A patient in cardiac arrest experiences return of spontaneous circulation. As part of post-cardiac arrest care, the patient is receiving mechanical ventilation. Which finding(s) would indicate the need for change in the ventilator settings to optimize the patient's ventilation and oxygenation? - Correct Answer
- SaO2 92%
- PaCO2 35 mmHg
- ETCO2 50 mmHg
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